


The Sharpest Lives

by lolareedus (undead_ahead3), undead_ahead3



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Comics), The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead Series - Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga
Genre: Daryl Dixon Needs a Hug, Daryl Dixon Smut, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Insecure Daryl Dixon, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:21:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 67
Words: 206,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28740927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undead_ahead3/pseuds/lolareedus, https://archiveofourown.org/users/undead_ahead3/pseuds/undead_ahead3
Summary: Daryl Dixon/OC story. Slow burn romance. Following TV show beginning with Season 1.After being tossed around from foster home to foster home most of her life, Ace has never had much. She was used to being on her own. But once the world fell and her days became numbered, Ace finally finds a place to belong. Funny how it took the end of the world for her to get what she had always wanted. Turns out, the scariest part of the apocalypse is not fighting for your life, but learning how to love a hot-headed redneck and his chicken-shit group.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 16





	1. Original Character Bio

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, here is a Daryl Dixon/OC story!! The title is from a My Chemical Romance song, which I do not own anything of. I also own nothing related to The Walking Dead, but do own my character(s). I started this story a while ago on wattpad and fanfiction.net when my writing was pitiful, so I have been going through an editing chapters! I am editing quite a bit, including dialogue, character interactions, and even a bit of Ace's back story.
> 
> Quick elevator pitch: IRL I do believe Daryl is an asexual character, but its irresistible to try to write him otherwise... Still, any romantic connection I can make has to be a slow burn romance, for it is Daryl Dixon after all. This story will take place at the beginning of season 1, and last for however long I can go. Based off the TV show, but in later seasons I may have some fun and incorporate some cool comic book stuff. Hang on tight and enjoy the awkward, blossoming friends to lovers.
> 
> P.S. Let me know if there are any tags or warnings I should add to this story that I am not thinking of!
> 
> Hope you enjoy, pls interact :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life history of my original character. More details will come as the story continues.

Acacia (Ace) Mousikou

Life History:

Age 0-7: Ace was with her mother - a single mother, no father ever in the picture. Ace's mother was not present and she was often left alone to be watched by the neighbors. When Ace was 7, her mother didn't return for days, leading the neighbors to finally call child services.

Age 7-14: Bouncing around from foster care to foster homes. Barely made it through elementary and middle school. Was home schooled for some time, skipped a few grades and was held back. 

Age 14-18: Was placed with a foster dad, this being her longest time spent in one home. He kept her out of high school to work for his contracting company. Once she turned 16 she was able to legally get added on the schedule and get paid. It was her plan to enlist in the army once she was 18 to get out, at least thats what all the other kids her age were planning on doing to leave their shit small town, but that never came to fruition.

Age 19-21: She stayed working with her last foster dad for another year, saving up, as well as getting a second job as a waitress. Once she had the money, Ace tried to find her own place. But with a nonexistent credit score and lack of low income apartments in her area, she was left with no other choice than to find her mother. After months of struggling to locate and contact her, as well as meeting with lawyers, they labeled her mother as a missing person and transferred the deed to her childhood home over to Ace. Ace took the GED and started training to become a EMT.

Age 22-24: Ace worked as an EMT and a waitress at night, struggling to maintain bills for the house. Living from paycheck to paycheck.

Age 24-25: Ace struggling to perform any physical activity at work, barely able to stand at night. Went to urgent care.

Age 25: Diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her spine. Chances of survival were 50/50.

Age 25-26: Spent the year struggling with chemotherapy, doctors appointments, surgery. Was too sick to maintain work, stopped working both her jobs. Started to drown in debt. The tumor was removed.

Age 26: Her mom returned, bringing her new little sister, Frankie, to her doorstep. Ace did everything to clean herself up, get back to work, and maintain health. Was approved as the sole guardian for her sister.

Age 30: Unaware of the financial strain and time commitment of a child, Ace fell behind in health, work, and bills. Ace was evaluated and deemed an unfit caretaker due to her financial status. Frankie went into foster care. Ace's back started to hurt again. The world fell.


	2. To Survive You Must Adapt

To adapt is to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation.

That's what Ace has done all her life, and now that it's the zombie apocalypse, it's a skill that she's glad to have picked up. To survive you must adapt. It is her number one rule in life. You have to accept what is thrown your way and if you can't change it, change yourself. Make room for it.

Make room for the pain, sadness, anger, and pure fear that runs deep in your bones, especially now that you may be a lone survivor, like she is. A lone survivor at the fucking end of the world.

Ace doesn't plan on being alone for long, though. She plans on finding her little sister, Frankie, who she last saw at the Children's Foster Care Center a few weeks ago. After visiting her young sibling nearly everyday, this month was supposed to be the time she was finally able to bring her home. But things went to shit. And when they did, they went _fast_.

Ace lived an hour outside of Atlanta, from a small town on the outskirts of Gillsville. Ace was at work when the first bit of news started to come across the radio. No one thought much of it. Hell, she didn't pay any attention to it. And then in a matter of what felt like seconds, panic wracked every street and every city.

It took her 42 days to reach Atlanta.

On day 16, she learned that the city was bombed, napalm released across the streets. She nearly gave up, all hope lost. But she had nothing else, nowhere else to go. She had to see it through.

On day 37, she stood in front of the foster care center. The small building was nearly demolished, debris covering the entire diameter. Once again, she almost gave up. The only thing that kept her together were the tire marks on the pavement. After inspection, she noticed there was a small handful of busses missing from the parking lot. She didn't run into any of these busses on her travels, nor did she encounter any undead children. Therefore, if her assumptions were correct, they got the kids out. She tried not to think about the state of the highway. This was enough for now.

Ace was intending to get the hell out of this city, too, but she found that a bit more complicated than once thought. Now on day 42, she was still sneaking around the streets of Atlanta, scavenging what she could. The only thing on her mind was Frankie. 

The week after Frankie was born, unbeknownst to her, there was a knock on Ace's door. From that day forward, she had a little sister and was the sole caretaker. Ace turned her life upside down, committing herself to the infant. Everything she did, she did for her sister. Ace never wanted to Frankie to ever see the inside of a foster home, for that is how Ace spent nearly all of her young life, traveling from foster home to foster home. Being torn from everything she loved each time.

It was 8 months ago Frankie was taken away from her. It nearly ruined Ace, for she had done everything in her power to get her life together. But building a steady home and career under buckets of medical issues and debt was something she couldn't get on top of.

A month before the world collapsed, Ace was finally reevaluated, and successful at that. She was supposed to get her back.

And she will now, no matter what it takes. She'll do anything and everything to get her back because when she sets her mind to something, she makes sure it happens. Although, she is not yet sure of the how. There must be a set up, either government or militia, that the busses would take the children to. Ace has a few ideas, but has to make it out of this city alive first. With only a few weapons, a backpack full of canned food, and some granola bars, surrounded by death.

She was on her last sip of water and can't survive off the granola bars and canned beans for long. Some medicine would also be great to find, especially some type of pain killers, knowing she'd need them, too.

Ace was taking silent and slow steps, creeping up behind a large building to find it's back door. The smell of decaying flesh and death swarmed the city, sucking the air right out of her each time she would breathe in. It was not a scent you could ever get used to and each time she did smell it, her stomach did flips.

She finally spotted the tall metal door that led inside the building and quickly made her way over. She grasped onto the door nob and turned it as quietly as possible, pushing the door open slowly, trying to make it squeak as little as possible. She peeked her head in, spotting two biters inside. Luckily, they hadn't noticed her. 

Ace swallowed down the uncomfortable feeling their presence gave her and started to slide her body through the crack of the door she created. She never once took her eyes off of the mindlessly roaming biters as she moved with stealth across the room, staying on the toes of her feet. 

To put it simply: Ace hates killing biters. 

Because when she does she sees the person they once were. A person that got separated from their friends and family, like the two biters she was sneaking by that still had their work uniforms on. She could see their name tags on it; Michael and Stewart.

Michael and Stewart didn't even get to say goodbye to their loved ones, just the unfortunate chance of getting part of their arms bit off. While they were at work, nonetheless.

These were people with lives and families. People that had futures and had to deal with normal problems like debt or bad hair days. 

But these were also people that wanted to rip her guts out. Ace understands that. She will kill them if she has to, but doesn't want to. It's not easy. It's disturbing. Especially when the sickening noise of skulls crushing reminds you of what you've just done. 

So she avoids killing them as much as she can, sneaking around quietly everywhere she went, like she is now. The first few times she did kill one, she vomited until she dry heaved after. Not only was it disgusting, but she felt as if she just killed a person in cold blood... Not something she ever planned on doing.

But, this whole apocalypse wasn't planned, so Ace did what she does best; adapt. She adapted to this "new" world, forcing herself to somehow become more comfortable with stabbing people in the head. Forcing herself to push, fight, and scavenge. Forcing herself to survive.

But surviving came easy. It's what she's been doing her whole life. She doesn't know how to just _not_ try to survive.

With this on her mind, Ace stepped past a shelving unit that was shielding her from the biters' views, but still tightened her fist around the knife. She kept it tight in her grip as she looked around the floor she was on, which seemed to be a souvenir shop with racks of clothes, hats, jewelry, and so on. Ace also noticed that the glass doors in the front had been smashed open by something or someone, causing the glass to crunch under her feet. 

This made noise that Ace was afraid the biters would hear, so after spotting the staircase leading up to the next level, she jogged on the tip of her toes over to it.

She did her best to go up as quietly as possible with out making the steps creak. Luckily, she managed to get to the second floor without attracting the two biters down the stairs.

The second floor was completely different than the first, looking like a regular office with a kitchenette built in. It was deserted and was starting to creep her out a little, especially when she imagined this once being filled with busy average adults, buzzing around to get their work done.

It was almost like this was a dream, or a movie that she'd watch on TV. She wished so desperately this was just that, but every time she pinched herself or splashed water on her face, she was still alone, running away from dead things.

At least this floor might have some food or water, maybe even some more weapons if she's lucky. All she has currently is her hunting knife, a hand gun she had recently found, and a flimsy pocket knife. She doesn't use her gun much, in fact it's at the bottom of her bag, because if she even thinks about letting a shot off, she's got a whole city of biters on her. 

Ace doesn't really have a primary weapon, she never really thought she would need to have one, but she does know how to shoot. She did archery one year as a kid and one of her foster dad's, the stereo-typical big meaty white guy with tattoos up his neck and a weird mustache, lived in a shady neighborhood. He liked to have his property protected, and since he left Ace home alone most of the time while he went out with his girlfriends, she was that protection. He taught her how to shoot a gun as well as defending herself. Sure, she was scared as hell of him at the time, but now she was thankful because if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have been able to survive now.

Ace wanted to thank him, even though it had been multiple years, but she technically owed him her life. She wonders if he his alive? If anyone of her previous foster parents were alive? If anyone was alive?

She snapped herself out of these depressing thoughts, not needing to think about that right now, and started to search through drawers and desks in this office. She came across multiple bottles of water, some bags of chips, protein drinks, Tylenol, cough medicine, granola bars, peanuts, and even a few novels. She smiled to herself, but then quickly got rid of the peanuts, knowing she was pretty allergic to those.

Ace felt like a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders at finally having some decent supplies, but an entirely different weight came back on when she heard shuffles and multiple groans coming from the floor above her. Her plan was to sneak back out, avoid the biters like always, and make a run on the back alleys. And she was all set to do so, until she heard something else. Something human.

Ace peaked over the side of the cubicle, glancing around for the origin of these noises. The biters were loud and clear across the office, but there were faint grunts and sounds of pain coming from the distance. Perhaps outside? 

Ace side-stepped around a few desks, ducking down and slithering to the wall perpendicular to the staircase door. It was left agar, a sign on the front indicating authorized personnel only. It must be a staircase to the roof. 

Ace pressed her back against the wall, flexing her hand around her knife and sucking in a breath before leaning over to look up the stairs. It looked to be two or three floors worth of climbing, leading up to the roof entry. She couldn't see the biters, couldn't make out how many there were. It didn't sound like it could be more than 3 or 4.

Sitting back down against the wall, she pressed her fist to her forehead. The safest thing to do would be to leave, for the biters are already distracted. But those noises, they weren't noises of someone dying. If that person was getting chewed up, it would either be screams or dead silence. Someone needed help.

Letting only a moment pass for her to take a deep breath, Ace pushed herself up. Hurrying back to the cubicle where she left her bag, she dug through it, grabbing onto the books she just stuffed inside.

She took one last breath before she went back to the stair case, stepping up one foot at a time, as slow as she possibly could. Thankfully the industrial metal did not creak like any wooden steps and she was able to make it up halfway until she could see the biters. 3. There were only 3.

There was definitely something living on the other side of the door they were hurling themselves at. Shit. This was something she had to do.

"Hey!" She yelled up the stairs, her voice echoing throughout the slim corridor. For a moment the growling stopped, feet shuffled, and then all attention was on her. "HEY!" she yelled louder, slamming the books against the staircase railing, making as much noise as possible.

The dead groans started up again, louder now, making Ace bounce up. As she jogged back down the stairs, she kept banging the books against the railing, enticing the biters to follow.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she glanced up. They were following, tripping over themselves, falling down towards her. She gulped, jogging through the doorway and pressing her back against the near wall once again, waiting.

She listened as the biters hurled themselves down, waiting for the right moment. As soon as the ear-piercing growls started to offset her stomach, she chucked the books as far as she could across the office, ducking down to hide under the nearest cubicle. 

Steadying her breathing as much as possible, Ace peered over, watching as the biters dragged themselves towards the direction of the noise.

When all of them got away from the door she noticed a glass vase on top of the desk she was under and quickly snatched it, dumping out the dead flowers inside. She army crawled as quietly as she could back to the stairs she used to get up here and chucked the bottle down, causing it to bounce and shatter all over. As soon as it did that, she turned and sprinted back to the metal stair case leading up to the roof with the living thing behind the door.

Before running up to the roof, Ace took a quick glance back and saw the biters all stumbling down the stairs, leaving it almost empty up here. She wiped the sweat of her forehead and took off up to the door, only to realize it was chained and locked with a padlock. She mumbled a bunch of made up words in anger and grabbed onto the padlock, inspecting it.

She yanked two of her bobby pins out of her hair and got down on one knee, stealing quick glances behind her to make sure it was safe as she picked the lock. It was a talent Ace just picked up over the years of being a delinquent and had grown significantly good at it. She was about to start getting dizzy from taking so many quick glances behind her for biters when she finally heard the 'click' that made her let out a relieved sigh and pull off the lock.

She yanked off the chain that was holding it closed, tossing it to the side before shoving the door open and stepping out, her eyes squinting at the transition into the bright sunlight. She shut the door behind her and stepped over to where she saw a figure sitting on the ground, mumbling something incoherently, until he heard Ace and turned to face her. Her jaw dropped at the sight of his pale face and the stump that was now his right arm, no longer having a hand.

"Hey sugar tits, wanna give me a hand?" He slurred out, chuckling at him self.


	3. Someone Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all who dare to walk here... Hope everything is bearable so far :) These first few chapters around the camp to C.D.C. (before the farm) don't have toooo much Daryl/Ace interaction, mostly just following the script of the show. Sorry for this, I think a lot of the little things are very important for development, especially the normal tidbits with Daryl. Things will become more fun soon when there is some freedom for me to write. IDK what I'm doing lol.
> 
> Anyhow, would love to hear comments! :D

Ace froze, staring at the gray-haired man and his amputated hand.

"What's a pretty lil' thing like you doin up here?" He slurred out. He was pale, dirty, and delusional from the loss of blood that pooled around him.

Ace jumped off the cement platform she was on, skipping the steps, slowly making her way towards this man, knife still gripped in her palm. After disregarding his previous comment, they both stared at each other. She was having a hard time taking anything in other than the fact he was sitting next to his own hand, blood boiling on the hot pavement. She took a moment, glancing around at their surroundings with shock painted on her features. It was an empty rooftop, not a soul in sight, leaving her with a million questions.

The older man, barely conscious, watched her, taking her in. She had her hair thrown back in a small ponytail, short bangs not included and brushed to the side in front of the red bandana tied around head. She had lots of dirt covering her and her clothes - an oversized flannel that was tucked into her worn blue jeans.

"Well, you really are a pretty thing aren't ya?" He smirked, the high he had being the only thing keeping him awake.

Ace hurried over to him and crouched down so she was his level, immediately reaching out to his mutilated arm. Blood was gushing out, dripping onto her palm. Her eyes gaped at the fresh wound, pale white bone bits sticking out. "You're bleeding out."

He snorted, "Oh really? Thanks for pointin' it out, Darlin."

Ace's jaw clenched. "What happened?" She asked hurriedly, her eyes scanning around the handcuffs, hacksaw, and blood. She was trying to assess the situation so she could figure out what the hell to do with him. Anything that would prove to her this man wasn't bitten.

The man smirked, his head rolling back a bit. "I died and wen'ta heaven. Must be with an angel like you here to take care of ole me."

Ace looked at him, brows furrowing. Her eyes scanned his face now, no longer watching his stump. His face was blistered from the sun, poisoned. His teeth were dark yellow and eyes nearly bugging out of his head. She had seen it before.

Ace bit at her lip as she considered his situation. She glanced back around her shoulder. "There's a kitchen inside. Might be something to cauterize your arm, stop the bleedin."

"See, I knew ya were an angel," he slurred, his body rolling as he tried to get up.

Ace had learned quickly growing up to be skeptical of new people, especially in the last 42 days, but didn't think to worry about this man. He was weak and high, which was not something that seemed a threat to her. And whatever happened that led him here, he needed her help. These situations are what she was trained for, and she often didn't take time to think if she should help. Everyone deserved help, doesn't matter who. Thats a problem for later.

Ace shifted over closer to his side, throwing his good arm around her shoulder and helping him stand, which ended up in both of them letting out grunts of struggle. He wasn't the lightest and was still in a lot of pain and delusion. When they did get up, Ace held onto him, expecting he wouldn't get far.

"Don't need ya damn help walkin, get lost," he grumbled, swaying his body.

Ace stayed cool, used to being collected in these situations. She didn't budge and started to walk him across the roof.

When they got to the metal door leading down the staircase, Ace moved him so he leaned against the doorway while she peaked down. "Stay here," she pointed to the ground firmly then ran quietly down the stairs, checking to make sure the coast was clear. She looked around quickly, checking most of the floor they were on. The three biters from the staircase were now down on the first floor, thankfully chasing the sound of the vase she threw earlier. She cursed herself for not doing this before she went up, but still ran to shut the door to the first floor staircase.

Ace went back and signaled for the man to get up off the wall and once again put his arm around her shoulder. She still kept her eyes peeled for biters as she led him to the small kitchen area, but it seemed clear and empty on this floor. When they got into the kitchen, Ace set him to lean against the nearest wall so she could search around. "The stove," Ace spoke more-so to herself as she rushed towards it. She turned the knobs to ignite the gas, but it just clicked.

The man chuckled from behind her, but once again Ace didn't pay him any mind.

Spotting the drawers and cupboards, Ace started to search through each one, rummaging through all the useless supplies until she found something she could work with. There were a few bourbon shooters she collected before squatting down, continuing to dig underneath the countertop. She spotted a torch canister in the back, to which she quickly snatched and stood up.

She set it on the counter and ripped open drawers until she finally found a patch of matches. _Now she just needed..._ Glancing around, she stopped when she saw the iron steak weight hanging above the stove.

"Take your belt off," Ace demanded, not looking as she spoke back to the man, reaching up to grab the iron.

It was a little difficult for him to undo it with one hand, making him smirk. "Could use some help, sweetheart."

Once again, Ace ignored him. She focused on loosening the knob on the propane torch that opens the valve. When gas shot out, Ace nodded to herself, fumbling with the matches to light a flame. She then ripped open one of the shooters with her teeth, pouring it over the iron steak weight before holding that over the flame, now pausing to glance back at the scrappy man. He was struggling to undo the clasp on his belt, slurring out curses as he did so. Eventually, he got it loose and slid it out, stumbling as he did. Ace almost lunged to help him, but he leaned further against the wall, sliding down onto the floor and landing on his ass with a thud.

Ace's face scrunched as she watched his eyes roll back, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. He was not in good shape, probably not well enough for the cauterization, but Ace had no other options. She glanced back at the iron, watching as the metal now was glowing red hot. She set it upright on its side before facing the man and squatting down. Ace grabbed the belt that was loosely hanging out of his hand and started to situate it on his mutilated arm. She tied it as tightly as she could against his veins, causing grunts to come out of his chest. When getting ready to pick up the now very hot iron, Ace thought of something that might help. She grabbed onto the wooden spoon on the counter next to the stove and then gave it to him. He understood and put it in his mouth getting ready to bite down.

Ace picked up the iron and another shooter before squatting back down, positioning it in front of his bloody stump. She used her mouth again to open the alcohol, keeping her eyes on the delirious man.

"My name is Acacia, like the tree," she got his attention, distracting him as she dumped the alcohol over his wound. He looked at her for only a second before groaning loudly from the pain. She discarded the empty bottle and brought up the iron, almost hoping he would pass out to not have to bear through this. "But most people call me Ace," she offered him a shadow of a smile, trying to keep him calm. He blinked at her through tired eyes.

"Okay. Ready on the count of three," Ace informed him. "One..Tw-" she pressed it hard to his stump with out warning, cutting herself off from her counting. The man's jaw clenched down hard and his whole body tensed, letting out a loud groan of agony while Ace worked the burning pan all over his stump, making sure she melted it all. The smell and sound of his skin burning was making her stomach churn, but she just bit down on the inside of her cheek and started taking deep breaths to focus. He was trying to swear and yell at her, his body spasming, but his words just got muffled by the wooden spoon that she was sure he was about to break in half with his teeth.

"Done."

When Ace pulled away and the man spit the spoon out, she was exasperated at the fact that he did not pass out. Quickly, she threw the iron on the stove and jogged over to her bag she left at the cubicle. She returned with the painkillers in her hand. "Take these," Ace handed them to him. He gratefully took them and swallowed them dry. "Don't move, I'm going to look for bandages. Maybe Neosporin."

Without another glance she hurried off again, trying to stay alert as possible as she rummaged through the cubicles again. She had mostly cleared them all out already, but she hadn't been as desperate for medical supplies as now. She was unable to find anything perfect, but found a small container of Vaseline and a shirt in one of the desk drawers. This would do.

Quietly going back over to the man, she checked on him, surprised he was still awake, and went to work on his stump. She rubbed the vaseline over the freshly melted skin, making him roll his head in agony. Loosening the belt on his arm, she let it fall off so she could wrap the t-shirt around it, tying it in a knot near his elbow.

Both of them were panting when she finished, and Ace let her head fall for a minute, taking deep breaths as she grounded herself now that the man was okay. For now. But he needed rest.

Ace looked around, knowing she was not getting out of this city tonight.

"It will be dark soon" Ace stated to herself, aware the man probably wasn't listening, and glanced around out the window. She started to think, trying to plan like she always does. They could stay here, but she wasn't happy with the multiple entrances and low visibility. Back on top of the roof was probably the safest place to stay isolated, especially with that padlock. "We'll stay on the roof tonight, keep it chained up." She threw her back pack over her shoulders again then looked at the man in front of her. "You good?"

He nodded but was unable to get words out. Still, he let Ace help him up and start to work their way back up the stairs. It must have taken them a half hour to get the man to walk up all the steps, for he was barely hanging on to consciousness.

When back on the roof, Ace led him to a spot that was a little bit away from his amputated hand. She set him down, letting him fall with a little 'thump' on his ass, making him groan as she ran back over to the metal door they came in from. She grabbed onto the chain she had got off earlier and closed the door, but left enough space for her to get her arms through. It was a little difficult, but she managed to wrap the chain around the front handles of the door tightly and put the lock around it while she was still behind the opposite side of the door. She did have to yank her hands from the now small crack in the door she created, though.

"How we gonna get down if ya locked us up here, smart ass?" The man slurred at Ace when she got back over to him.

"Pick the lock," she retaliated, barely paying him any mind. He snorted and Ace sat down on the ground across from him, leaning against the large cement barrier surrounding the edge of the roof, being careful of her aching back.

"Gotta name?" He asked her, barely audible. Clearly, he did not take in a word she had spoken recently, much too out of it. He was looking at her while she didn't look up at him, pulling her bag off her back.

"Ace."

"Ain't that a man's name?"

She looked up, squinting her eyes at him.

He did the same, but gave in and nodded lightly. "Merle."

Silence came back upon them as Ace pulled her bag off her back, starting to dig through it. Merle was trying to watch, but his eyes were starting to roll into the back of his head. Ace pulled out a can of beans and a bottle of water. She uncapped the water and leaned to set it next to him. "Drink," she told him before sitting back down.

As he did so, Ace started picking at the can of beans with her knife, sawing at the aluminum until it popped open. She placed that at Merle's side as well before grabbing one for herself.

Merle hummed, pouring the water into his mouth and over his face, struggling to drink. When the water was gone and pouring down his chin, he leaned back, gripping onto his arm. They sat in silence for a little while after that, Ace quietly picking at her food. She was caught up in her head, certain Merle must have finally passed out. Until his voice startled her.

"Ya from around here?"

Ace glanced up, just looking at him in silence for a moment before she sent him a nod, continuing to eat. Merle lifted his head up, glaring at her. Her silence was starting to piss him off.

"Well, ya gonna tell me where, girl? Shit, just tryin to make conversation," Merle huffed. After a long pause, he was able to hear Ace as she started to chuckle. He peaked his eyes over at her. Ace covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stay quiet. Merle didn't know what the hell was funny, and Ace really didn't either, but her laughter was a little contagious and made Merle bite his cheek to hold a smirk back. It had been a long day.

"Sorry," she stifled her laughter. "Not sure how you're alive right now."

"Me neither, girlie," Merle grunted. "Wanna do somethin' to celebrate?"

Ace sighed and set her can of food down. She ignored the way he flirtatiously waggled his eyebrows at her, instead just shifting her bag across the pavement. "You need to rest."

Merle just hummed, his head already dropped back and eyes shut again.

Satisfied, Ace quietly started to move positions. She stood up, moving as quietly as possible to not disturb Merle. If they wanted to get out of here tomorrow, he needed a lot of sleep to get his energy up. Ace looked off the rooftop until darkness came upon her, watching over the city as her mind ran a mile a minute. Occasionally she would take glances back to Merle and spot his amputated hand. She had many questions she was trying to figure out about how he got here. And many more about where they would go.

She watched as walkers scoured the streets of the city until her back started to ache. Sighing, she rubbed at it and turned around.

Ace grabbed her bag to use as a pillow and laid on the cement ground. It didn't help ease any pain in her back, so she expected she wouldn't be sleeping much tonight. Which might be for the best so she could keep an eye on Merle. If he had been bitten, he might turn in his sleep. Or if he managed to wake up, he might act upon his desires.

Letting her thoughts run as she looked up at the dark sky, Ace struggled to fall asleep.

\--------

Ace had been up for hours.

She decided to let Merle sleep a little while longer because he was already going to be weak from his injury, so he needed as much rest as he could get.

While he was asleep, Ace organized her back pack, twice. One time so she could make sure everything was easy and accessible if she needed it and the second time to take inventory. When she willed herself to stop organizing, she finished a can of beans and stood up to watch over the city again, trying to develop a plan to get out of here. She looked down at the small pocket calendar and map that she had in her hands.

She marked another X on the map and noted in her calendar on day 43 that she was leaving the city. She also scribbled Merle's name on there. She wasn't sure why she did this, maybe just out of fear she was going to forget everything. There was no other way to document your life now, so it brought her some comfort. And maybe if she found Frankie, she would be able to share this with her. Frankie would love to hear the story of Merle. Ace made a mental note to write down more about her days.

Ace was used to always having time by her lonesome, so she became almost a friend with herself, knowing how to keep herself entertained for hours. That and she always had a thousand things going on in her mind at a time.

She noticed the sun was rising up high enough that it had to be almost 9, so she decided that was enough sleep for Merle. Stepping over to Merle, she lightly kicked his foot a few times, standing over him with crossed arms until he groggily opened his eyes, rolling around a bit. Ace nudged him again.

"Fuck outta'here," he grumbled, his voice thick with exhaustion.

Ace huffed and nudged him once more. Merle snapped his eyes open with irritation, his initial reaction to lunge at the annoyance, but his dizzy head stopped him. He groaned loudly, sitting up. "Damn girl, whats a man gotta do for some sleep," Merle complained.

Ace walked around him and grabbed the can of food he didn't touch last night, handing it over. "Breakfast."

Merle squinted to the can, then up to her, then back to the food, snatching it from her while grumbling to himself. She went to lean back over the roof top as he started to pour the contents into his mouth, scarfing it down. He finished it at an animalistic speed, chucking it away from him when he was finished. Ace scowled at him for the noise, turning to watch as he finished the remaining drops in his water bottle.

"Got anymore, sweetheart?" He asked up at her, smirking as he shook the empty water bottle.

With a huff, Ace went over to her bag, pulling out another. She had enough to spare for now. She rolled it over to him and now sat down across from him again, waiting patiently.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him.

"Just peachy," he sarcastically shot at her, sipping on the water. "Be better a lot if you came closer. Been a while since I've had a lady take care of me," he winked.

"I'm leavin' the city today," Ace responded, not bothered by his attitude. She had dealt with many men like him before. She had found it best to not engage. 

"Whats the plan?" Merle perked an eyebrow up at her.

Ace took a moment to consider. She had assumed she would need to help Merle make his way out of here, but was unsure about traveling with him. He wasn't here with any supplies, and someone must have handcuffed him. That meant he was with people. And there was a sketchy reason he was no longer. From the nasty comments he had been giving her, Ace was imagining horrible situations.

"What happened?" Ace changed the subject, needing more information as she pointed at his hand.

"Some pricks from my group," he grumbled. "Handcuffed me up here, left me to rot."

"Why?" Ace pushed, face scrunched.

Merle chuckled. "Weren't too friendly."

That didn't really make sense to Ace. Why would someone do that? Leave another person to starve, possibly be eaten by biters? And why would they chain one of the doors shut if it was an act of vengeance? "You don't think they'll come back?" She asked.

"T'hell don't ya understand about left me to rot?" He snapped, but then calmed his voice. "Well, my baby brother might. But I ain't gonna stick around to find out."

"Why not?"

"'Gonna take my ass right back to camp, give 'em a good surprise," he smirked at himself.

Ace squinted at him, unsure about his aggression. She still did not understand what happened or why, but it seemed like Merle wanted revenge. If he was this obnoxious when he was injured and weak, she couldn't imagine the pain he was normally. Maybe there was something Merle did to deserve this, or maybe the people of his group were something Ace wanted to avoid.

"Get me out of this shit pit of a city and ya can come back with me. Gotta pretty good camp set up," Merle finished his water. "Nice and cozy," he winked at her.

Ace stayed quiet, considering only for a moment. Although it may be nice to stop, potentially eat and recuperate before she continued for Frankie, there was not a chance she could avoid the suspicions she had about him and his group. She didn't need to get caught up in anything dangerous.

"I'll get you out of the city," was all she said about it, standing and brushing herself off. "There's train tracks not too far from here. We'll take back alleys to get over there, lead us right out away from main buildings."

"Well look at you, darlin," Merle chuckled to himself. "Got looks _and_ brains."

"And you've got neither," Ace grumbled back to him, making Merle recoil in laughter. He held his stump to his chest as he laughed loudly, but then instantly snapped it away at the pain it caused. He cursed to himself.

Ace noticed. "Gotta clean it," she pointed.

After grabbing the vaseline, pain killers, and her half-finished bottle of water, she walked over to Merle and sat down in front of him. Before she got to the wound, she held her hand up to signal she wanted to feel his forehead. Merle just grunted a response, to which Ace accepted and pressed the back of her palm on his skin.

"No fever. Good," she spoke quietly to herself. She poured out two pain killers and handed them to Merle to take. Once he did, she started unwrapping the t-shirt from his stump. Merle took a long, hard look at her.

"You some kind of doctor or somethin'?"

Ace glanced at him only for a second before looking at his wound, her upper lip curling at the sight. It didn't look great, her handy work with the iron was definitely going to make this a gruesome healing process.

Ace was not one for small talk, especially after the years of being on her own. She had learned at a young age it was better not engage with people, but after glancing at Merle, she knew he wasn't going to shut up until she answered him.

"EMT," Ace informed him without looking up as she unscrewed the cap to the water bottle. She slowly poured it across his stump, doing her best not to waste any.

"Shit, that musta been nasty when all this shit started goin' down," Merle exclaimed, wincing as Ace started to apply more vaseline on his arm. "How ya make it outta that one?"

Ace turned the t-shirt inside out to place clean fabric against his arm. Merle cursed as she did, but she continued to wrap it nonetheless. "Wasn't working then. Been a while."

"Well shit, girlie, hopefully not too long. Fuck up my arm and ya best be sorry," Merle pointed to his stump.

"Yeah, you're welcome," Ace huffed back sarcastically once she was finished and stood back up. Merle mumbled something under his breath.

Ace packed up the rest of the water and vaseline before slinging her bag onto her shoulder. Behind Merle she spotted the old tool box he got the hack saw from, making her go over to it. She grabbed anything that looked like it could be useful and tucked it in her bag. She kept a wrench in her hand, going back over to hand it to Merle.

Merle pushed himself up with his only hand and stood, taking the wrench from her.

"Ready?" Ace looked at him.

"As I'll ever be," his southern drawl slurred out.

Ace nodded and made her way back to the door. She propped it open as far as she could with her foot, taking the bobby pins back out from her hair and slithering her arms through to the padlock. It took her a little to get it, for the position wasn't allowing her much visibility or access, and Merle couldn't stop himself from making smart ass comments. Eventually, she heard the click and sighed, pulling the lock and sliding the chain through the door. Merle huffed.

Ace peaked down the stairs, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, so she and Merle slowly stepped down, feet lightly clanging on the metal grates. They ended up back on the floor they were on yesterday which was still empty of any signs of biters, allowing them straight access to the second stairwell. The biters from yesterday were still mindlessly roaming around, now 5 of them, making Ace crouch down. She glanced over her shoulder at Merle, grabbing his attention before she pointed across the room at the emergency exit.

Merle nodded in understanding and Ace took a deep breath in before they made their way. She kept her back pressed against the wall, slow stepping in her crouched position behind shelving units. Merle was a little less graceful, but was staying silent enough for them to reach the door without being noticed. Ace cringed as the door squeaked when she pulled at it, but rushed through the crack, hurrying Merle to follow. The biters had started to turn their way right when she shut the door behind her.

Letting out a breath, Ace turned to Merle. "This way," she nodded her head for him to follow.

They both walked on in silence with their eyes pealed for anything to jump out at them. But since they were using the back alleys to get around, nothing too bad was there. And Ace was retracing her steps, meaning she already cleared any biters nearby.

"How long you been in the city?" Merle asked, breaking the silence.

Ace didn't look over to him, just kept scanning her eyes in front of her. "Few days."

"Where ya headed?"

Ace wished the conversation would escape her, but she had accepted her present company wouldn't allow that. She still did her best to stay focused. "South. Fort Benning maybe."

Merle looked to her. "Think that military base is still up?"

Ace shrugged, she hoped so. Seemed like there was more chance than anywhere else. Ace was clueless to any other place the foster care would have taken the kids. It had to be somewhere big. Ace had considered a hospital, but quickly wiped that idea from her head. That had to be the first place that went down.

Merle was silent for a moment, to which Ace thought he had let it drop. Unfortunately, he didn't.

"Wha' about some company?"

Ace paused, turning her head to look at him right away. She met his eyes with her own hard ones, her forehead scrunched. Merle chuckled at her reaction.

"Can't stay much longer with them assholes at camp, all trippin' over each other's panties," he exclaimed, irritation in his voice towards those people.

Ace watched him, the wheels in her head turning. Merle could tell she was considering it, but something was holding her back. She didn't know Merle, and didn't necessarily trust someone that got handcuffed by his own group, but he had yet to show any signs of threat towards her. He just talked too much. Maybe too much of a flirt, also.

Merle chuckled again, starting to walk forwards. "Jus' gotta get my baby brother. Maybe take some supplies from 'em."

Ace walked to catch up with him again, but squinted her eyes towards him.

"Wha'?" He held out his arms. "They owe me. Fuckers left me for dead for nothin'."

It was Merle's aggression that rubbed Ace the wrong way. The vengeance he wanted to get. She didn't know the whole story, knew it was messed up what they did, but still seemed wrong. She had witnessed enough violence over supplies during her days on the road. And she'd known guys like Merle before.

"Nah," Ace mumbled, looking forward again as they kept on. She was better alone.

"C'mon, girl," Merle huffed at her in anger. "Ain't gonna last long out there alone, girl like you."

"Afraid I'm gonna run into someone like you?" She snapped back, not looking at him.

Merle swore. "Ya a damn fucking peach, ain't ya?"

Ace once again furrowed her brows at his comments, but knew there was some truth to it. Besides the missing hand, Merle seemed tough. Probably a good fighter. And if his brother was anything like him, he would be, too.

Ace had no interest in company, especially not two Merles, but if they could help her get to Fort Benning... Help her scavenge and kill biters, maybe it would be logical. It would be a pain, but it could be smart.

"Fine," Merle groaned. Ace looked over her shoulder to him, popping an eyebrow. Merle rolled his eyes, grumbling insults under his breath. "Won't steal shit."

Ace looked across his face to see if he was lying or not. From the irritation the words caused him, she believed him. "In and out," Ace demanded. She didn't want to be a part of anything that might become dangerous.

"Might slap 'em around a little bit, 'specially that ni-"

" _Merle_." Ace cut him off, her voice sharp.

Merle nearly turned red from anger, but knew he didn't have any other options. "Fine," he snapped.

"Fine," Ace repeated.

They carried on again, Merle's hushed curse words only lasting for a few minutes until they reached the end of the alley.

They both peered over the side of a building to take in what was waiting for them. Ace hadn't seen many bitters from the roof on the outskirts of the city, so she was pleased when it still looked that way. Ace was about to say something, but when she looked at Merle she saw his eyes were locked onto something. Following his gaze, she saw a few cars across the street, doors ajar. "Take watch," he pointed back to her. "Might be some good loot in there."

Ace reached out to stop him, trying to tell him no, but he was already on his way, doing a light jog across the street, head on a swivel. Ace groaned to herself, immediately stepping around the building to keep eyes out. He was an idiot, they didn't need to stop to scavenge, especially not here. It wasn't worth being this exposed on a main street near the city. She didn't have any visuals around the corners, both blocked by tall buildings.

Impatiently, Ace bounced her eyes around, keeping Merle in her peripheral. He was not graceful in any of the actions, climbing inside and tearing the cars apart. In his state, he should have let her take lead. If any biters were in that car he'd have to take them on injured and single-handed.

It didn't seem like he was finding anything special, just pocketing random belongings. Ace was tapping her foot, about ready to go over and rip him away from the cars. And as soon as she was about to, Merle ripped open a door, triggering a car alarm.

Ace's face fell and her body jolted at the noise. Immediately she started rushing over to Merle.

Merle jumped inside the car, diving under the steering wheel, jamming his wrench to rip it and the dashboard open. As he was inside yanking out wires to get the alarm to stop, Ace already spotted a biter turning the corner of a building down the street.

When the noise finally stopped, Merle pushed himself out of the car. "Shit," he hissed.

"Biter," Ace announced as she passed him, jogging over in the direction of the corpse. It was just one that they could avoid, but Ace didn't want to risk anymore attention this way. They have a tendency to herd together.

She sucked in a big breath as she came up to it, placing her free hand on its shoulder to hold it arms length away, and bringing her knife down into its skull. The amount of momentum it took to break the bones make Ace's spine chill. She let out a grunt as she ripped her blade back out, pausing to squeeze her eyes shut after.

As the body crumbled at her feet, Ace's ears perked up at the sound of another growl. She looked around her and saw nothing, so she took slow, tedious steps forward to the nearest building. Pressing herself against the brick, she slid across until she reached the edge. Holding her breath, she poked her head around the corner, jaw immediately dropping at what she saw. Without a second glance, she spun back around, heart hammering in her throat. That was the largest horde of biters she has ever seen, all making their way down the street towards them.

She had to get Merle and get the fuck out of here. So much for going silently.

As she turned to take off in a run towards him, she barely made it a few steps before skidding to a stop. Across the street on the other side of Merle, another group of biters was straggling his way. Merle had already taken notice, jogging to slam his wrench into the heads of the ones closest to him.

"Merle!" Ace called, running in his direction again, unsure if he could hear her. He couldn't take them on, they had to run. "We gotta go!" Ace yelled again when she got closer, Merle still kicking back biters.

Ace saw an opening across the cars that would lead them to a dirt road, but the biters were getting too close to Merle for comfort. When she reached him, she went towards the closest ones, not thinking as she shoved her blade into their heads.

She had no idea where all of these came from, but they kept piling towards them at an unstoppable rate.

"We can make it if we run," Ace called over to him, getting Merle to glance in her direction. He was holding back one biter, but three more were coming towards him. Noticing, Ace tried to take out the biters, but more kept coming in between them. When she pulled her knife out of the third skull and looked back to Merle, she could barely make out the top of his head.

Ace took fearful steps backwards, her eyes wide in front of her. She tried yelling for Merle over all the biters.

"Go!" Merle shouted back.

"No," Ace hushed out, spinning to make her way towards him. He was surrounded on all sides.

"RUN! NOW!"

Ace hesitated, puke rising at the thought of leaving him here to die. She wanted to help him, she had to, it couldn't come to this. But there was no way. She would die here, too.

So she spun on her heels and ran. As fast as she could, dodging and ducking away from biters, occasionally ramming her shoulder into them to knock them over.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, breaths coming out in spurts as she jumped through the line of cars and sprinted across the gravel. She kept taking glances back to see if Merle was following, but she couldn't see him anymore. So she kept going.

She hadn't heard any screams, making her think maybe she could circle back. Maybe he got through and ran in a different direction.

Or maybe he didn't. Maybe he went down silently.

Ace's stomach fell as she sprinted to the train tracks, guilt tightening her airways.


	4. You Reap What You Sow

Ace was pressed up against the back of a building, her breathing hard and loud as she struggled to get a grip. She had managed to get a good distance away from the biters, giving her a chance to pause and regain her footing.

She hunched over, palms pressed against her knees as she heaved in air, trying to get her breath back. She could still hear the moans of the dead, letting her know she couldn't stop for long.

She was willing herself the energy to continue on, but her mind was stuck back on that street she left Merle. She tried to think if there was anything she could do, anything she should have done. Maybe circle back. Maybe get high ground, see if he was stuck somewhere.

Listening to the moans of the walkers, trying to gauge their distance away, she heard something else.

She was so unsure if it was real, if she had actually heard it, but swore on her life she heard the sound of squealing tires. Coming from behind her where she left Merle. Ace stood up straight and listened again. When she heard it, she let out a loud breathy laugh, nearly collapsing over.

One of the cars. It had to be him. Merle must have hot wired one or something. He got out.

Ace laughed to herself, placing a hand on her stomach to hold herself up right. She convinced herself that was him and he would make it out of the city. He'd find his brother and they'd go on their way. She laughed again over the fact he would now probably steal from his group, for she wasn't there to stop him.

Ace's laughing came to a dead halt when she heard groans coming from her side again. The noise had drawn away some biters, but stragglers were coming towards her.

Running a hand through her hair, she sucked in one more big breath before taking off. Alone again.

Ace tried not to think about it. The only thing she needed to consider was getting out of this god forsaken city. Although she had lost her company, she would get back on her path to find Frankie.

When Ace seemed to put at least a half mile distance between her and the last biter she saw, she slowed to a walk. Yanking her backpack around, she pulled out a bottle of water, taking slow sips through her heavy breaths. She wanted to stop, needed some rest, but she didn't want to be this close to downtown when it got dark again. She had no great options for shelter, and her best bet would be to find a spot in the woods. Maybe climb a tree.

She placed her hands on her hips, huffing in the Georgia heat as she finally reached the train tracks.

Ace paused her walk here and pulled her bag off again, setting it on the ground and crouching down next to it. She dug in it deep and pulled out her handgun, checking to see how many bullets were left in the magazine and then slamming it back in quickly. She had more than half a clip left inside, but she wanted it on her for emergencies now as she was heading a little further away from the city.

Taking her time standing up and stretching her aching back on the way to try and ease the tightness, she threw her backpack onto her shoulders again. As she started to walk, she took her gun and slid it in the back waist band of her pants, sighing.

Ace had put her knife back in its sheath earlier, letting her ears and eyes keep watch for her, but she wasn't comfortable without having it in her hands while the sun was dropping.

The sun set was very stunning tonight, but everything about nature seemed off lately. Maybe that's why her back was acting up again? Because something was up with nature? Or maybe that's just an excuse so she doesn't have to admit to herself that she could possibly be getting ill again.

Ace kept walking along the train tracks, her feet starting to drag, blisters breaking on the sides of her feet. It was about time for her to head into the woods, find a tree to hold up in. She needed to eat, or she would soon pass out from exhaustion. Looking down the road ahead, Ace had a moment where she considered letting the exhaustion take her. Fort Benning was nearly a hundred miles south of her, all of which she would have to make on foot, without Merle. She found herself almost, _almost_ missing his annoying comments. Something to distract her from the journey that lies ahead.

Ace had a plan for keeping her fear at bay, its just part of her adapting to the new world. Every morning, or every time she's put in a crazy situation, she stops. Only for a moment. She lets herself feel it; all the fear, sadness, pain, anger, ect. She accepts it, only for a few seconds, and then adapts to it. It's almost like she sucks everything into a black hole, and then after a few seconds the hole closes. She focuses on surviving.. On getting things done. She had been having a harder time with it lately, for things seemed to keep getting more and more out of hand. Theres only so many emotions a few seconds of breathing can keep at bay.

And this was put to the test, those few seconds starting, when she heard footsteps behind her. Gravel was crunching underneath shoes, and she immediately knew it was too quiet to be biters. No growls came, either.

Ace took a deep breath in and out, letting the fear take its course before shutting it out and focusing.

The sound of a gun cocking ignited her and in one swift movement, she pulled her gun out and spun towards the noise, stance steady.

"Don't shoot!" A voice immediately called out. "No one needs to get hurt here."

The voice became calm and Ace squinted as she saw the figures come closer. She counted four people, all male and all carrying weapons. She didn't move a muscle, letting her eyes roam over the potential threat coming her way. The sky was nearly dark now, so it was difficult for her to make out any faces yet. Usually the face was the first give away for if they had dangerous intentions.

The man that spoke first came closer, holding a hand out while pointing his rifle down to the ground. He was wearing a sheriffs uniform, hat and badge included, a weird picture Ace never thought she would have to see again. To his left there were two men, one large with an axe and another scrawny, fiddling uncomfortably with a shotgun in his hands. To the right of the sheriff, another man was holding a crossbow, pointed directly at her forehead. He was the only one that still had his weapon up.

Ace quickly snapped her glance away, tightening her grip on her gun, looking at the man who first spoke, but only seeing the bag of guns on his back. "We aren't going to hurt you," the sheriff said, lowering his gun and signaling for the others to do the same. The smaller male in a baseball cap did right away, along with the axe man, but the guy with the crossbow kept it up when Ace didn't lower hers.

"My name is Rick Grimes," the sheriff slowly came closer until he was arms length away from her. He held his hand out.

Ace eyed it, but didn't shake his hand. Although, the action had her lowering her gun slightly, still keeping it tight in her grip and ready to be snapped back up in an instant. Rick noticed and let his hand fall slightly. "This is T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl."

Her eyes wandered over the people again, now able to see them more clearly and put names to appearances.

"Are you alone?" Rick asked.

Ace was full of hesitation, her eyes squinting while she figured out what to do. If she said she was alone, that would give them an advantage if they wanted something from her. If she lied and said she had people nearby, they may think she is a threat and escalate this. But this sheriff, Rick's, voice seemed very truthful and trustworthy. It had been a long while since some one offered her a handshake. She considered very carefully how to interact with them, leaning back to keep her distance. Her tired body ached. Rick picked up on the way she moved, exhaustion covering her features.

Ace nodded slightly, just enough for the man to catch.

"We have a camp not too far away.. you look like you could use some rest."

If this was true and these people were okay, a rest in a sheltered place would be a godsend for tonight. She was unable to find a good tree before it got dark, which meant danger only lied ahead in the woods. A place to catch up on some sleep and even possibly get some sustainable food before continuing on her journey for Frankie. Ace nodded again.

"What's your name?" Rick asked.

"Ace."

"Ain't that a man's name?" Daryl added roughly from behind Rick, now lowering his crossbow.

It hit Ace like a smack across the face. The southern drawl, the same type that Merle had when he asked that _exact_ question. The camp close by. This was Merle's group. The ones that chained him to the roof. It had to be.

She met the blue eyes of Merle's baby brother. She felt a twinge of guilt, hoping maybe Merle had made it back here, but then it turned into discomfort. She squinted her eyes at these people, now unsure about joining them for the night.

Daryl saw something, almost realization, that crossed across her face when he talked, making him squint back at her. Ace was trying to decide her next move as she watched Merle's brother. Merle seemed to speak highly of his brother, so at the very least, maybe she could trust him.

Although, maybe he wouldn't trust her for leaving his brother alone to die in the city.

But before Ace could say anything, blood-curdling screams echoed out through the moonlight, making Ace spin and raise her gun. The four men all looked at each other and then took off in a panicked sprint.

Ace debated just running away from them, not sure if she should go to the camp of these people who did what they did to Merle. But then again, she never got the full story from Merle. And she was exhausted. It was either a night of risking it alone in the woods, or risking it with these new people.

"Shit," Ace hissed at herself and then started running after the men towards their camp. She was so busy arguing with herself in her head that the distance didn't seem long at all and soon enough she was jogging up a hill to find a small clearing at the end of the gravel road.

Ace looked around, inspecting the camp. An RV blocked them from the road, shining light on a small handful of tents and chairs scattered around. Through all of it, she saw dozens of bodies, some people, some biters. Endless screams echoed in her eardrums. Ace froze for a moment, but her eyes landed on small children hurdling behind their parents. Something shifted in her and without hesitation, she was sprinting into the camp, pulling her gun up.

The men Ace had just met were standing around the camp, shooting down biters across the land. Ace jogged next to them, assisting in the massacre. They weren't as bad to kill with a gun from a distance and her adrenaline from the screaming families had her nearly seeing red.

Ace had unloaded almost her entire clip, so she quickly stuck it in the waist band of her pants, unsheathing her knife instead. The screams of terror and gunshots were starting to die down, but there were still a few stragglers left. On the edge of the back of the camp, buried in the woods, she spotted another biter. Rushing over, Ace kicked it in the chest, sending it stumbling backwards. She lifted her blade up, but before she could lunge, an arrow whizzed by and punctured the biter right through its eye. Startled, Ace stepped back, spinning around. She met eyes with Merle's brother, Daryl.

Head spinning, she gulped and swiveled her head back around in the darkness to see if any more were coming. But she saw none, and the growls had stopped. All she could hear now was sobs.

Ace turned and watched as Rick Grimes ran over to a little boy and woman, yelling out the name Carl as they all cried. Ace's eyes widened as she scanned the dead bodies laying across the ground, regretting her decision to follow them back here.

She stood still, face emotionless, but insides pulsating a mile a minute.

The tears of the people here was the only thing that made noise in her ears between the shocked silence for a while as Ace tried to catch her breath.

"Rick, who is this?" A large, hostile dark-haired man strode over, clutching his shot gun by his legs. Ace squinted her eyes at him, then to Rick who had to rip himself away from his family to jog over to the other man.

"This is Ace, we met her on our way back. She's going to stay here, at least for the night," Rick was being stern and Ace could feel some tension coming off the two. She felt uncomfortable, uneasy being placed in this situation.

"You sure about that, man?" The dark, curly haired guy asked, shifting the hand he used to grip his gun. Ace watched his hands.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Rick spat, turning back to his family and disregarding the others.

"Rick," the man called after him. Rick ignored it. "Rick," he repeated, following after to grab Rick's arm. "We've lost enough."

Everyone was watching them diligently, but Ace grew distracted when she heard a twig crack in the woods behind her. Her head snapped to look over her shoulder, a lone biter making its way towards camp. Ace inwardly groaned, but could not waste time pining over her hatred before she went up, shoving its arms to the side and sending her blade into its scalp.

When she turned around again, blood now coating her hands, all eyes were on her. She froze under the spotlight.

"She can stay," Rick repeated and then walked away towards his family.

The other man stalked off, running a hand through his hair. Ace shuffled in her place as the group turned back to their loved and lost ones, the stress of the night making them completely forget about Ace. Except an older man that came from beside the RV, joining her side. "Dale," he put his hand out and Ace hesitantly shook it. "You can sleep in the RV tonight," he gave her the best smile he could and Ace just nodded, following after him when he signaled her to. Ace only paused for a moment to glance back at Merle's brother.

Before she walked all the way in the Rv, Ace took a glimpse at the two blonde girls out front. One lied on the grass, blood seeping from her neck, while the other sobbed on top of her. Ace's mind snapped to Frankie and her mouth pressed into a frown.

"A few others will be sleeping in here, but the bench is open," Dale turned once inside and spoke kindly to her, struggling to hold back shocked tears of his own. She nodded and set her bag down on the bench he pointed to, looking around the RV quickly. It was warm and home-like, filled with appliances, dishes, and little knick-knacks.

"Thank you," she offered quietly, knowing there was not much else she could say. Dale nodded before stepping out and exiting the RV, leaving her to her lonesome.

Ace nearly collapsed onto the bench, placing her arms on the collapsable table in front of it. This being the first relief her body has gotten since the morning, she let out a sigh, bowing her head as her eyelids fluttered closed. The contents of the day were flashing across the forefront of her mind like strobe lights. She hadn't seen Merle out there and frankly could not stop worrying about these people. They seemed okay. They had children and families here. Dale offered her a place to sleep.

She wondered what happened to Merle. He should have beat her here if he had a car. Her hopes started to dissipate, guilt setting back in. Maybe she hadn't heard a car, maybe she should have circled back. Maybe it was someone else.

Ace then thought of Merle's brother, making her glance to the RV window. She should say something. Ace would want to know if someone was with Frankie, no matter what the outcome was. But Ace stayed put, chewing on her cheek. After the state of their campsite, she wasn't sure she should go back out. It was dark anyway, it would be too dangerous if Daryl wanted to search. And Ace was not yet one hundred percent certain this was even the right group. Perhaps she just had the luck of running into two unrelated rednecks in one day.

Ace doubted that was the case, but still decided against speaking of it tonight. She didn't have a good feel for these people yet, and with adrenaline running high tonight, she was wary of bringing up a potentially problematic situation.

Tomorrow. She could say something tomorrow.

Ace pressed her fist to her forehead, rubbing against the tension. She needed sleep, but the adrenaline in her body from the day had not yet passed. And her back was screaming something awful. Ace sighed and sat up so she could rub her hands into her back, trying to smooth out the pain. She let her hands fall when she heard feet come up the steps, the RV door swinging open.

A little girl and who Ace assumed was her mom walked in, along with T-dog, Glenn, and Dale following shortly behind.

The little girl who clung onto her mother, both crying softly, walked into the RV and past her. Ace's gut tightened. Glenn and Dale gave her a nod and a sad smile before retiring to the driver and passenger seats up front. T-dog came over to sit on the other bench across the table.

"T-Dog," he reminded her of his name as he sat down.

"Ace," she spoke back softly.

T-Dog nodded, rubbing a hand down his face. "Always nice to see a new face, even on nights like this."

The sadness in his voice made Ace frown. "I'm sorry," she offered silently. T-Dog shared a small smile.

"You from around here?" He asked, changing the subject.

Ace gnawed on her cheek and nodded, "Up north a bit."

T-Dog nodded, chuckling to himself a bit. She wasn't much of a talker. Fine by him.

"You stayin here long?"

"Just for tonight," she mumbled and T-dog agreed. It wasn't safe to camp out here like this anymore. His mind started to wander, until an idea popped into his head.

"Looks like you're good with a weapon, we could use some more strong people after tonight..." He drifted off.

Ace looked up at him quickly. She saw kindness on his face, pushing her to nod slightly at him, although her intentions were to leave in the morning. She had to move on.

"Well, feel free to kick me if I start to snore," T-dog said and then laid down on the bench, positioning himself in the most comfortable spot, well aware he probably wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. Ace chuckled softly and soon did the same, hoping her mind would be running so fast that it would knock her out.

\-----------------

Nightmare.

That's normally how the nights go for Ace.

The cushions of the bench as well as the warmth and safety of the RV provided her with a reasonably good sleep, much better than what she's gotten lately, but she still couldn't escape the horrors of her mind.

Sometimes the nightmares were about her old life, her sister, her failures. Other times it was the undead. Last night it was Merle. They always seem to be centered around her guilt.

Since she was an early riser, it was still slightly dark out, but light enough that she could see her surroundings. Ace debated if she wanted to leave right now, but decided she would at least go down to the quarry that she jogged past on her way up to camp. Her and her clothes could use a rinsing, blood still splattered on her from the day prior. And she had some information to learn and share with the group later.

Ace silently sat up and slid off the bench, grabbing her bag and using her quietest footsteps to sneak out and not wake anyone up. When she got outside, she sucked in a big breath of fresh air, only to bite her tongue in disgust when the stench of death surrounded her instead. Now in the light, she was able to fully take in the aftermath of last night. Sadness creeped into her bones at all the corpses laid out in front of her. To her right, the blonde woman was still leaning over her loved one. Ace recoiled, quickly turning around and heading away from the camp.

She glanced around and spotted a trail down to the quarry. Although, she was stopped from going further by a rough voice above her.

"Hey," the hostile man from last night called out. Ace looked behind her shoulder, catching his figure on top of the RV, keeping watch. "Headed off somewhere?"

A rifle was cradled in his arms, but not pointed anywhere near her. He had a distinguished tone in his voice, one of control and leadership.

"Quarry," Ace signaled down to the body of water below them. If he didn't trust her, at least he would be able to see her through the scope of his rifle.

The man didn't say anything, but also didn't break eye contact with her as he sat back down in his folding chair. Ace considered him for a moment, uneasiness in her spine, but decided it was best not to engage. These people were odd.

She started to walk over to the quarry, keeping her eyes open for any activity as she did so. She was surprised at how quiet it was around here. It was smart to camp above the quarry, not much would make it through or around here that they couldn't see. But it wasn't so smart to have an unprotected camp so close to the tree line. After last night, she was sure they all knew that.

When she climbed down the last of the gravel path, Ace took a moment to take it all in. The air was now fresh and the light ripples of the water were the only things that she could hear. For a simple, short moment, she felt peace. Even if she knew the scope of that rifle was looking down at her back. Ace sighed and sat near the edge of the water, setting her bag down next to her. She lifted her feet up one at a time, plucking off her boots and socks before rolling up the hem of her jeans. She then pulled off her flannel, leaving her in a tight black t-shirt.

Leaving it all in a pile on shore, she stood and slowly waded into the water. Chills picked at her toes, but she sighed nonetheless. Her feet were bruised and blistered from the amount of running she did yesterday. She bent over, dipping her hands into the water and starting to scrub off dried blood from her skin, lip curling at the action. Afterwards, she splashed water on any exposed skin she could, loosening dirt that caked on her face.

She started to feel better, satisfied with her cleanliness for now. When she got back to shore, stepping over rocks, she pulled out the extra change of clothes she had in her bag. They were covered in blood and dirt, having been warn for the longest period of time since she was on the road. She had been waiting for a chance to clean them.

After dipping them in the water and using some rocks to scrub, she figured that is the best she could do and draped them on the shore to dry. As they did, she sat back down, pulling out a few things from her bag.

She tried not to think about the state of her only toothbrush as she pushed toothpaste onto the bristles. She used a swig of water to rinse her mouth out after before finishing the contents of the bottle.

Crickets were chirping along the edge of the quarry as Ace chewed on a spare granola bar, looking down at her pocket book calendar. On day 44 she wrote 'Lost Merle. Found Group.'

Frowning, she shoved it back into her pack and huffed. She bit at the inside of her cheek, guilt lingering in her system. She knew this was how it was, that if she tried to do more she could be dead, too. And that would mean Frankie would never see her again.

Diverting her attention back to Frankie, Ace pulled out her map. She started to plan her next route south towards Fort Benning, debating wether she should follow main roads or stick to the woods. She decided to take her chances on the road, the possibility of finding a car with some fuel making this trip not seem so daunting. The thought of a car had Ace glancing back over her shoulder to the RV where she was sure she was still being watched from. She wondered if the group had fuel. And if just maybe they would be willing to spare a car. She had seen a couple at their camp.

She hated the idea of having to talk to them, let alone asking for supplies. It seemed she would have to suck it up.

Ace spent the entirety of the early morning here, taking in the peace and quiet for as long as she could before going back. For a few moments at a time, she would forget the state of the world.

Once the sun started to rise higher in the sky, cancelling out the chill of the morning air, Ace was satisfied with her time and determined she should probably head back before questions start getting asked. Putting her boots back on and standing up, she grabbed her now dry clothes and rolled them back up into her pack. After gathering everything, she slung it over her shoulder and started to climb back up the trail.

The walk was peaceful, the Georgia morning sun glowing a bright orange today. Although, it was already burning at full heat, causing sweat to build along Ace's forehead.

When Ace climbed back up to the main gravel road leading to camp, she was surprised to see Rick out here as well. He shared the same reaction as he walked back, greeting her with a slight nod. "Ace."

Ace nodded back at him, turning to join next to him as they walked back to camp. She saw in his hand he was holding a walkie talkie, and many questions popped in her head. Rick's clothes and arms were still coated in a dried, red and brown layer of blood. At the way Ace had none on her, Rick figured she was coming back from the quarry.

"How'd you sleep?" Rick asked, barely looking at her. It was more so a formality to fill the silence, his mind elsewhere as he looked forward.

"Good," Ace responded softly, glancing at him. "Appreciate you letting me stay here."

Rick looked over to her, nodding and flashing a civil smile before looking away. They continued uphill in silence, Ace unsure at if she should say anything now about assistance with her travels, or maybe even about Merle. Although, at the stress written all over Rick's face, Ace held off. And when they arrived back to camp, she was glad they did. People were up and moving, dragging around corpses. Now wasn't the best time to ask them for anything. She would wait for a better one.

Rick walked towards his family and a few others sitting around the embers of last nights fire. Ace slowed down, hanging back around the entrance of camp. She stayed silent as she looked around, eyes watching the burning bonfire Glenn and T-Dog dragged biters to. Daryl was swinging a pick axe around, grunting loudly as he slammed it into heads to make sure they were _dead_ , dead.

Ace swayed at all the death lying in front of her. Rotten corpses covered what once was a simple campsite. Bodies of group members that had flesh ripped apart were left alone on the landscape. It was something she doesn't know if she could ever get used to seeing. Every time she did, she felt like the apocalypse was happening again in front of her.

"She still wont move?" Rick spoke to those next to him.

Ace looked over, spotting the few sitting around him. She recognized Dale and the man that was watching her from the RV this morning. Assumptions led her to believe the woman Rick was speaking to was his wife. The only one she didn't recognize was the woman sitting next to Rick's wife, short-haired and a once yellow blouse, now covered in dirt. The woman with the child that came into the RV last night.

A few others roamed the campsite that she hadn't seen last night, but only counted 3 of them. The children must have been in the RV.

Ace followed Rick's eyes to spot the blonde woman laying over her loved one. The same position from last night and this morning. Ace's heart fell, remembering that feeling from those she had lost.

"She wont even talk to us. She's been there all night, what do we do?" Rick's wife spoke down, trying to shield her voice from being heard.

"We can't just leave Amy like that," the other man responded, shotgun resting between his knees. "We need to deal with it, same as the others."

Ace kept her eyes on the girl, Amy, that they lost. She watched as Rick approached the pair. "Andrea," he knelt down. Ace heard the cocking of the gun before she saw it, making the group Rick was just speaking to shoot up out of their seats. Ace observed, unable to make out what they were saying, but Rick started to slowly step backwards, putting his hand out. It made Ace wonder if any of these people had lost someone before. If they had, maybe they would be more sensitive to the situation.

When the gun was put down and Rick turned to walk back to his company, Ace spotted Merle's brother approaching. He rested the axe on his shoulder as he shuffled over.

"Y'all can't be serious," his southern drawl carried over, his arm shooting back to point at Andrea and Amy. "Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girls a time bomb."

A vein in his neck popped out as he made his irritated remarks, not caring to be silent like the others. Ace's interested peaked, his anger-laced attitude familiar to what she heard from Merle. His lack of sympathy rubbed Ace the wrong way, especially as she started to imagine what his reaction would be if she brought up his brother.

"What do you suggest?" Rick bowed his head toward Daryl, sighing.

"Take the shot," Daryl snapped. "Clean, in the brain from here." Daryl spoke with his hands, expressing his irritation visually. "Hell, I can hit a turkey 'tween the eyes from this distance."

"No," Rick's wife cut him off. "Gods sake, let her be."

Daryl squinted at all of them, a moment passing before he scoffed, turning around and spitting to the side. He swung down the axe as he did.

Ace cringed at the hot-head, he was a lot different than Merle. Merle was worse in the ways of annoyance, not hesitating to say the god awful things on his mind. Merle was a sexist, racist, meathead, but Daryl, Daryl was more serious. There was a real irritation that picked at his bones. Which he wasn't afraid to let out either.

Ace knew telling him about Merle was not going to be fun. And now was definitely not a good time to ask about a car.

As silence lingered, she set her bag down and went to approach the middle of the camp. She figured if she was going to ask for supplies, the least she could do would be to help with the bodies. Maybe it would get her on better terms with everyone.

Ace approached a woman crouched down over a biter, removing her knife from its skull gently. Above her stood a man, staring off into the distance.

"Need some help?" Ace asked timidly. "I'm Ace."

The woman looked up to her, squinting through the sun rays and wiping sweat off her face. "Jacqui," she nodded. "Thats Jim."

Ace acknowledge both of them with a curt nod, stepping over to the corpse and grabbing its feet. Jim walked over to lift up the front half by the shoulders. In silence, they dragged it over to the bonfire, grunting as it was heaved onto the logs. A pain in Ace's back shot up her spine, making her face scrunch. She did her best to ignore it, focus on lifting with the knees as she followed after Jim to assist with more bodies.

Her time at the quarry was rendered pointless as she continued, sweat and dirt now coating her skin again. In the dead of summer, the last thing anyone could want would be to lift rotting corpses into a burning flame. Ace stayed silent, not having any complaints as she worked her way around the camp, assisting Jim and occasionally another man who introduced himself as Morales. Her spirits were low as she moved through body after body, people she never knew, but still felt pity for.

"Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you guys doing?" Glenn said, catching Ace's attention. She looked to the side, halting from picking up another dead body with Jim to see what was going on. "This is for geeks. Our people go over there," Glenn stood next to the bonfire, face dropped in sadness and surprise, pointing out to the pile across camp of their lost friends. Daryl and Morales were dragging one of their people to the bonfire.

"What's the difference? They're all infected," Daryl grumbled, obviously unfazed by it all. A little too unfazed, if you asked Ace. Still, she watched as Glenn walked over, bumping into them.

"Our people go in that row over there," Glenn demanded again, his voice wavering. Daryl stood and watched him, eyeing Glenn up and down "We don't BURN THEM!" Glenn shouted, tears lacing his voice. "We bury them. Understand?"

As Ace observed the way this group interacted with each other all morning, she started to agree with what Merle had said to her. In his on words, he said they were tripping over each other's panties. For Ace, she just saw the mess that tied them together. There was tension between them all, emotions flying high. They were sloppy, struggling to stay on top of the madness. Ace didn't judge them for this, just was all too good at seeing the complications that lied beneath their personal relationships. It was a group of random, mix-matched people, all dealing with shit in their own ways. And Ace appreciated Glenn's way, still trying to honor their dead. Ace often did the same, even with biters. But Daryl's reaction made her eyes narrow.

There was an awkward silence yet again lingering over the camp, everyone silently watching what was going on. But people started to go back to their business when Daryl and Morales moved the body away from the fire, sweat glistening off their skin. Ace still kept her eyes following them, squinting from the sun and from concentration, able to visibly see anger rise up in Daryl again.

"You reap what ya sow," Daryl snapped. Ace's face fell.

"Shut up man," Morales snarked. They dropped the body.

"Y'all left my brother for _dead_!" Daryl yelled out, pacing away. His southern accent was more prominent with the volume as he pointed around camp. "You had this comin!"

Not another word was said as he stalked off, swatting his hand down. Everyone looked away, ignoring yet another outburst from one of the Dixon brothers, and getting back to work. Everyone but Ace, who was frozen. She could hear the pain as he spoke of his brother, no matter how unsympathetic he was to the state of this camp. Her guilt over Merle returned as she watched his baby brother storm off.

Ace was confused, Daryl knew they handcuffed his brother on a roof and is still here? Still helping them? Thats not something Merle was intending to do. Maybe his little brother was kinder.

Or maybe he wasn't. And after that outburst, he would chew Ace's head off for mentioning Merle.

As much as Ace did not want to engage, she couldn't help herself from walking the direction Daryl left. She shouldn't say anything to him, but she had to. She heard the pain. He deserved to know, she would want to.

Daryl scooped his ax back up, pacing around the side of camp by the tents. Ace eyed him as she walked over, taking in his appearance. Ace was slow and silent as she approached, expecting him not to hear her. But she didn't know that he was a tracker, one small footstep making him spin around.

Daryl didn't expect it to be the new girl, so he was caught off guard before locking eyes with Ace, his face sour. "T'hell you lookin at?" He spat. "Ain't ya got some place to be?"

He started pacing around again, expecting his outburst to piss her off so she would leave. But Ace showed no signs of his words affecting her, too caught up in what she had to say. What she wanted to tell him.

"Your brother," Ace started, her voice quiet enough that Daryl stopped and glanced over, making sure she said what she said.

"What _about_ him?" Anger laced every syllable. "You got somethin' to say, huh?"

His face was scrunched in defensiveness, ready to burst at any second as soon as this stranger thought it was her place to say something about him or his brother. Ace just kept looking at him, guilt and fear of his reaction setting her bones rigid, but her eyes soft, sad.

"Merle?" She asked curiously, seeking clarity that she had put the pieces together right. At the way Daryl froze mid step, looking her dead in the eyes, Ace knew she had. Ace counted her blessings before she spoke again. "I was with him."

Daryl's face fell, like this shield of anger was pulled right off him for a second. "Wha'?"

Ace swallowed, shifting on her feet. "I was scavenging in Atlanta. Heard him on that roof."

In a moment, the anger was bubbling up Daryl again as he took in what she was saying. "T'hell you didn't say something sooner for?" He yelled, walking towards her, like he wanted to run past her to go look for him again.

Ace kept herself steady, eyes trained on him. "I cauterized his arm, cleaned him up," she spoke, always so god damn quiet Daryl had to focus to hear what she was sayin. "Gave him food, water, medicine. We got outta there."

Daryl huffed, his anger paused again. He had thought it was Merle who did all that. But what she was sayin didn't make sense. Why was she alone if they got out together?

"He alive?"

Ace swore she almost heard his voice crack, making her heart sink and guilt take its place. Her head bowed for a second before she sucked it up to look back at Daryl. "We got separated. Surrounded by the dead... I don't know," she answered his question truthfully, sucking in a breath and standing up straight after. She had to own up to it, what was eating away at her. "He told me to run. So I did. I left."

If possible, Ace's voice got even more quiet when she said that. There was no point mentioning that she wanted to circle back, that the guilt was killing her all day and night. It didn't matter because she didn't do anything. And Daryl's rage was coming back, like it was choking him, turning his neck red. He started to pace again, back and forth in front of Ace. "Lemme process this," he choked out through his rage, signaling to his head. He stomped out his anger in each step before turning back and shoving his finger at Ace. "Ya left him for _dead_."

Chills ran down her spine at the venom in his voice and she could do nothing but look at him. "Just like the rest of them," Daryl spat, his finger pointing to the group as he stomped closer to her, his feet crushing the dirt beneath him. "And ya could'a said something last night. Could'a gone back for him!"

Ace wondered if he would have abandoned his group in their need last night to go search. If he would've gone back to the city in the dark, aimless. But the thought left her head when he breathed anger down onto her face, making her jaw clench.

"I didn't-" Ace tried, wanting to explain. She at least wanted to tell him that she heard a vehicle, that Merle might've got out. But he cut her off.

"Yeah," Daryl spat in agreement, heat radiating off of him. " _You didn't_."

They were frozen, eyes locked, Daryl shooting daggers at her with his own. His breaths were heaving harshly at his undying rage, chest huffing up and down as he looked at her.

Ace wanted to escape this, but knew she owed it to this person, as hellish as he was. Hell, she probably even deserved it. She chose her own life over Merle's. He had told her to run, he was the one that eventually saved her.

"Why don't ya just go back to the hole you crawled out of," Daryl growled at her, getting in her face one last time before storming past. " _Useless bitch_ ," he grumbled, not looking back to her. Ace cringed.

Ace was frozen for a moment, remembering to breathe again now that he was not so close to her. She had done what was right by telling him, but now she felt worse.

She looked over her shoulder to watch him as he stormed off, not making eye contact with anyone. But a few group members had their eyes directed to Ace, looking over as they heard more of Daryl's outburst. She wanted to get out of here, forget about the car and supplies and just go. It was only morning, but she had enough, the conversations and group exhausting her. This wasn't how she usually did things, she was used to being on her own, not having to deal with anything like this.

Ace stood there for what felt like forever, running Daryl's words over and over again in her head. It wasn't until the older man from last night, Dale, carefully stepped towards her.

"Everything alright?" He asked, cautious to disturb her.

Ace sucked in a breath and put her normal blank face back on before turning to him, offering a small smile. "Yeah," she nodded, repeating herself as she tried to shake it off. "Yeah."

Dale was curious, only having heard Daryl yelling at her, but didn't push. Instead he flashed a warm smile. "Don't mind Daryl... Thats just how he is. He'll warm up to you eventually."

Ace gave a nod, trying her best to show that she was unbothered by Dale's comment. Dale was kind, more than he should be for some stranger, but Ace appreciated it. Her eyes glanced to Daryl once more while he took his anger out on the biters already beaten in skulls. Thats just how he is? Or was he hurting from losing his brother? And taking it out on the group that left Merle for dead? Ace included. If it was Ace's sister, she wouldn't have stuck around long. She'd be mad, too.

"Guys! It's Jim!" Jacqui called out, yanking Ace and Dale's attention over. "A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!"

Dale quickly jogged over along with everyone else, surrounding him. Jim was spinning and backing away like a cornered animal.

"Show it to us," Daryl was the first to come up, circling him.

Jim started panting, making the split decision to grab a shovel, holding it up to defend himself. The action had Ace stepping forward, placing a hand on her sheathed knife.

"Easy, easy," the group called out, panic bouncing around. When Jim didn't back down, swinging around, scared and wounded, yells erupted.

"Put it down!"

"Grab him!"

Ace's eyes were widened as T-Dog snuck behind to grab his shoulders, pinning his arms back so he dropped the shovel. Daryl then rushed over, ripping up Jim's shirt to reveal a bite mark on his abdomen.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay.. I'm okay..."

Everyone stepped back, their faces falling. Wide and saddened eyes fell on Jim. Daryl's mouth was agape, watching his terrified acquaintance plead for his life.


	5. Status of Our Lives

Ace observed as the group started to unravel before her. Arguing back and forth about what to do with Jim. All but few stood in a circle, discussing their options. Ace had gone to retrieve water from her bag, lingering around to listen to their conversation. It seemed none of them had experienced a bite before.

Ace had seen it happen on the road. Never from beginning to end like this, but on each end of that spectrum. And word travelled fast that if you got bit, you died. You came back biting for flesh.

She was uneasy, glancing to Jim who rested by the RV and back to the small group. They were discussing the status of his life right in front of him. It was a necessary conversation, but the fighting that drew out of it was beyond Ace.

Voices started to rise as they shot back and forth at each other.

"What if we can get him help?" Rick asked, looking around. Ace moved her eyes to him, taken aback. She was now curious if he had been paying attention as the world fell. There was no help, people tried that. Hospitals fell because of that.

"I heard the C.D.C. was workin' on a cure," Rick announced. "What if the C.D.C. is still up and running?"

Ace crossed her arms, listening closer now. She had heard nothing of the C.D.C. and cursed herself for not thinking of it while she was in the city. It was the closest thing to the foster care center her sister was at, wasn't it? Also close to the napalm bombs.

"That is a stretch right there," that one man, the only one that hadn't introduced himself to Ace yet, shook his head. Ace had noticed he was wearing a sheriffs department shirt, same as Rick. They knew each other, before all this. And tension was thick when they spoke.

"Why? If there is any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C. at all costs.Wouldn't they?" Rick pushed out. "Shelter, protection--"

He was right, Ace realized.

"Rick, I know you want those things, I- I do too, okay?" His friend countered, cutting him off. "Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning."

Ace snapped her eyes over. He was right, too.

As they continued arguing, Ace pondered both locations. Fort Benning was away from the overrun city. But it was also 100 miles south. The C.D.C. was close. Dangerous, but close. And both places Frankie could have been taken. To Ace, both places were worth a shot for her to check out. And if she left for Fort Benning now, she would miss an opportunity to search a place Frankie could be at. She couldn't leave any stone unturned, no matter the threat.

She had made her mental decision, now checking out of the argument going on next to her, but still letting her eyes wander over all the people. She was taking them all in now that she had a moment to. Her eyes stopped on Daryl, noticing the way he was looking over his shoulder to Jim. Wheels were turning in his head as he became impatient. Ace was waiting for him to do something.

"You go looking for Asprin. Do what you need to do," Daryl looked at them, starting to take steps backwards. "Somebody needs to have some balls _to take care of this damn problem_!"

As he yelled, he swiveled, rushing over to Jim and lifting his ax above his head, one movement away from sending it into the man's skull. The group screamed, Rick rushing behind and pulling out his pistol. Daryl froze with the ax above his head when he heard the gun cock behind him.

"We don't kill the living," Rick demanded.

Daryl lowered this ax slowly as he turned, squinting at Rick and the gun. "Thats funny," Daryl's voice was calm now, but laced with sarcasm. "Coming from a man who just put a gun to my head."

Ace's head was dizzy as she struggled to get a grip on these people and all of this mess. Daryl stormed away, passing by Ace. As he did, he shot her a long glance.

While watching him, Ace made the unfortunate realization that if they were headed to the C.D.C., she would be stupid to not join them. Which meant she needed to figure out how to deal with them, how to keep her distance. If they chose Fort Benning, Ace would have to ask for a car. Maybe at least a ride as far as they could take her. If that was the outcome, Ace knew she needed to start figuring out her plan.

She saw as Rick grabbed Jim and walked him into the RV. From what Ace could tell, Rick had a place of leadership among some of the people here. Whether it was the sheriff uniform or the amount of people here he knew, Ace figured he was the best to talk to. The other man seemed to want nothing to do with her.

She waited a moment until the group scattered to grab her bag and go inside the RV. Ace was quiet as she entered, looking around the inside. The children that were once in here were moved outside when Jim came in, shielding them from witnessing any of it. Rick was walking away from the bed in the back that he just laid Jim on, watching Ace as she stepped in. He turned his head at her in curiosity for what she may want.

Ace faced him, clearing her throat. She was uncomfortable with speaking this much to anyone she barely knew, but had to suck it up. "I can stay with him," she offered, signaling to Jim. "I have some training."

Surprise lifted Rick's features. "Training?"

"EMT," Ace nodded. "Well, used to be."

"Emergency medical training?" Rick considered her, a breath escaping him. "Wow, yeah, okay."

Ace was not a doctor, far from it really, but she knew her past had provided her with a desirable skill set. Maybe thats especially true for a group like this that always seemed to be at each other's throats. Although, she lacked any important training to help Jim. All she had to do was get people to the hospital, once they were there they were off her hands. She just figured it would be a good thing to do to prove she was worthy of supplies.

Rick side stepped to allow her clearance to move towards the back with Jim. "Thank you," he offered sincerely.

She nodded and moved past him, stopping once she was to look back at him. "I'm headed to the C.D.C.," she informed him quietly. His eyebrow lifted at her. "If its not too much of a inconvenience, I could use a ride."

Rick nodded, satisfied at the least that she agreed on his idea for the C.D.C. "I'll speak to the others."

Ace accepted that for now, both acknowledging each other once more before Rick left the RV.

Ace took a minute to calm herself before going to Jim, trying to breathe away all the commotion and stress of conversation. Letting out one last breath, she carefully made her way to the sick man. He looked at her when she came into view, sweat starting to build up on his face. Rick had left him with a bottle of water. "Hey," he spoke, his voice hoarse. He took a moment to clear it, a cough bubbling up his chest.

Ace sat down on a ledge next to him, pulling off her backpack to set down as she eyed him. She kept her knife on her side, just in case.

"Sorry if I scared everyone back there," Jim breathed, pushing himself to sit up against the wall behind him.

Ace pressed her lips together in a nod of understanding. "No need," she spoke quietly, not wanting him to worry. Stress would only accelerate his condition. Ace reached inside of her bag to grab the pain killers from it, pouring out two to hand to him.

He reached over to take them from her, throwing them down the back of his mouth and taking a swig of water. As he did, Ace's eyes fell to the blood stain on his shirt.

Before she could consider what supplies she had to help him, the door to the RV swung open, footsteps coming inside. In walked Jacqui, carrying a few things in her hands. "Rick said you had medical training?" The woman asked, coming back to join her.

"A bit," Ace nodded, sitting up.

"I brought over whatever I could find that might help," she handed Ace a collection of bandages, tape, rags, and antibiotic cream. As Ace took them from her, Jacqui set down a bucket of water next to the bed.

She smiled kindly at Jim, leaning over and placing a hand on the side of his face. "We're gonna go bury the others," she informed him, keeping her tone light. "I'll be back."

With that, she smiled at Ace and left the RV. Ace peaked out the blinds to see the group heading off. Disregarding it, she started poking through the supplies Jacqui brought, taking what she needed and setting the rest down.

"Gonna fix up your wound," she looked to Jim, making sure he was okay with that. He nodded at her.

She shifted to the edge of her seat, reaching over to lift up the hem of his shirt. She took in the state of the bite, noticing just how clearly you could see teeth marks on his abdomen. It was swollen, blood seeping out of the side, but it wasn't too deep. No stitches would help.

Ace dunked one of the rags into the water, bringing it over to lightly press against his side and rinse the caked up blood away. He winced as she did, telling Ace to be more gentle.

"You got any family?" Jim spoke, breaking the silence as Ace worked at his side.

Ace spared him a quick glance as she grabbed the Neosporin. It would prove unhelpful in the long run, but she knew it would make them both feel better. At the very least, it would allow the bandage to not stick to his bite.

"A sister," Ace tried to keep her voice as comforting as possible, but the mention of Frankie caused a sharp pain in her chest.

"She make it?" Jim asked, huffing out a breath as Ace applied the Neosporin.

A sucked in a shaky breath, not looking up to him as she responded. "I don't know."

Silence surrounded them, Jim understanding. A moment of sadness washed over Ace, but she tried to shake it off to apply the bandage.

"I had a wife and two boys," Jim spoke, looking across the RV and into the distance. His words had Ace looking up to him, a solemn look covering her face when he said _had_. Ace was lost to why he was sharing this with her, but the look of deep thought on his face told her that he was doing what he could to process his situation. To get okay with it.

Rick was determined to help this man, but both knew that was unlikely.

"The dead they... they pulled em right out of my hands," Jim spoke, quieter now. "The only reason I got here was cause the dead were too busy eating my family."

Ace's heart fell, unable to fully imagine the despair of the image he created for her. It made her stomach churn. "I'm sorry," was all she could whisper to him, heart heavy.

"No," Jim shook his head. "No." He looked back over to her. "Its right, now."

Ace's face softened as she understood what he was saying. Him dying meant he didn't have to live with that anymore.

Ace had nothing she could possibly say, so she swallowed the lump in her thought and finished applying the bandage.

\--

After burying their people, the rest of the group took an hour to rest and eat. Rick and Shane did a sweep of the woods and on their return, gathered everyone around the fire pit. Everyone was there besides Ace and Jim.

"I say the most important thing here is that we need to stay together," Shane spoke, propping one leg up on a chair, looking across the group. "So those of you that agree... We leave first thing in the morning for the C.D.C." Although no one was aware of what made Shane change his mind, they all looked at each other, taking in the plan.

Rick nodded, shifting in his crouched position. "Ace would like to join us," he signaled back to the RV.

"The new girl?" Shane questioned. Daryl squinted at them both at the mention of her.

Rick nodded. "Seems like she was headed there anyway."

Shane sighed out, standing up. "I don't know, man. Another mouth to feed."

"We could use the extra strength," Lori interjected, looking at Shane. He eyed her with bugged-out eyes.

"We don't know her," Carol spoke softly, holding tightly onto Sophia.

Rick pinched at the bridge between his nose. "She hasn't caused any trouble."

"And she's been helping out here all day," Dale added, speaking with his hands. "She could've left, but she stayed to help."

"Maybe she wants something from us?" Carol played devils advocate, fearful of any new addition she hadn't known. The rest of them had spent the past month together.

Rick glanced to his wife, looking for an answer on her face. "She has medical training," Rick looked back to the group. No one added anything else. "All she wants is a ride. I don't see any problem with that, she's been keeping an eye on Jim."

When everyone stayed silent, Rick took that as agreement. To make sure, he looked up at Shane once more. The man was irritated, but said nothing else on the matter.

"Okay," Rick stood. "Pack up for the morning."


	6. Moving On

Ace was draping a damp towel across Jim's forehead when the RV door opened up.

She had been in here with Jim for a few hours now. He slept for some of it, to which Ace was able to enjoy some peace and quiet, try to get her head on straight. Not too long ago he woke up in a coughing fit, pushing him to nearly throw up. Although he hadn't, his fever had started to kick in full force. He was drenched in sweat, each breath forced out like his throat was sand paper. He kept trying to speak, sometimes asking for more water, but other times saying things Ace couldn't make any sense of. He was starting to get delirious, and Ace's mind was racing as she watched the infection unfold in front of her.

Rick and his wife entered the RV, both heading back to Jim and Ace.

Ace brought the rag from Jim's head and sat back, looking over at them. They both looked to her, then to Jim. Rick sent a nod.

"Need anything?" Rick's wife asked kindly to Jim.

"Uh... Water," Jim struggled. "Could use more water."

"Okay, I'll get some," Lori smiled at him, glancing to Rick for a second. "Ace," Lori grabbed her attention. "Would you help me?"

Initially Ace was confused, but after looking between the two, she realized Rick wanted time alone with Jim. Although Ace was much more comfortable staying to her lonesome in here, she had no choice but to set down the rag and follow the woman outside.

"I'm Lori, by the way," Lori turned to her when they stepped outside, the sun making Ace squint momentarily.

"Ace," Ace repeated as a formality.

"How is he?" Lori asked as she led them to the fire pit.

"Fevers worse," Ace informed as they stopped. She then turned to face Lori, face falling. "There's nothin' more I can do for him."

Lori nodded, the information not fazing her. "We'll keep him comfortable. Thats the best we can do."

As Lori was grabbing water, Dale came from between the tents, smiling as he greeted the women and walked over. "Ace, I hear you'll be joining us to the C.D.C.," he smiled while fixing the strap to the rifle across his shoulder.

Although this was news to her, Ace only paused for a second before nodding, slightly caught off guard. "Yeah. I appreciate the ride."

"Would you like something to eat?" Dale changed the subject. "Daryl brought back some squirrel for dinner."

Ace glanced over Dale's shoulder to see Daryl gutting and skinning a few animals outside of his tent. Before she could speak, Lori did for her. "You go ahead, I'll bring this to Jim," Lori offered her a break and placed a hand on Dale's arm before heading back to the RV.

Now out of her element, Dale nudged Ace over to the fire pit. Morales and his family were there, as well as Carol, her young daughter, and Rick's son. "Come," Dale waved a hand. "Sit." Dale was being very welcoming, but as Ace awkwardly went to sit on an old car seat next to him, she almost wished he wasn't. She was fine hiding in the RV.

Ace glanced around, eyes falling onto the small girl across the fire pit. She looked just a tad older than Ace's little sister, making her heart twinge. Nonetheless, Ace still sent a smile small to the girl as they met eyes. T-Dog was squatted next to the fire pit, moving around hot embers to set a small pan full of squirrel on. None were comfortable with having a full fire burning this evening, not wanting to attract more attention than usual.

"So, Ace," Dale started, breaking the silence. "You came from the city?"

Ace couldn't help but glance up over to Daryl, who unfortunately was already looking at her. When her eyes met Daryl's, his face scowled and he turned away. Ace frowned at the interaction.

"Yeah," Ace cleared her throat, turning back to Dale.

"Been there since it all started?" Dale continued.

Ace shook her head. "Jus' a few days."

It didn't bother Dale much that she was quiet, in fact he really didn't take too much notice. He was just happy to have a new face around. New stories, too. "What made you head there?"

Ace bit at her cheek, feeling the eyes of a few others on here. She assumed they wanted details about her, gauging if she was to be trusted. That meant she had to speak. "Was lookin' for someone." When they remained quiet, eyes still watching her, she knew they wanted more. "My sister," Ace added. Ace hadn't noticed Andrea curled up in one of the folding chairs, but at the mention of her sister, Andrea stood up and walked off.

"Did you find her?" The young boy, Rick's son asked, bringing Ace's attention back. Ace almost smiled at him, the hope for her written all over his face. Most children reminded her of her sister now, but she had always had a soft spot for them.

"No," Ace spoke, watching Carl frown. "But maybe at the C.D.C.. Like Rick said, people might'a gone there."

Ace glanced to Daryl once more, thinking maybe that Merle might have gone there, too. When Carl's face lit back up, Ace felt better. Dale nodded in understanding, but then leaned forward, rubbing at his white beard. "Now, I hope you don't mind me asking," he started, a smile teasing at the corner of his mouth. "But, Ace - is that your real name?"

Ace absentmindedly rubbed at her back that had been hurting like all hell after today. "Acacia."

Dale let out an _ahh_ as he leaned back. "Acacia," he repeated. "Like the tree." His comment made a small smile ghost across Ace's face, that was something she always said.

"What tree?" Carl asked.

Dale struggled to find words to explain it to him, but Ace had an idea. "Giraffes eat it."

"Cool," Carl exclaimed, making Dale chuckle. "My name is Carl Grimes," the young boy added, making Ace smile. "Whats your last name?"

Ace glanced at Dale before looking back to Carl. "Mousikou."

Carl's face scrunched in confusion. "Never heard that before."

"Me neither," Ace pushed out a laugh at his reaction.

"At least it ain't Smith," T-Dog said as he walked around the fire, handing out a few bowls of squirrel. A few people laughed at his comment, having heard that one far too many times.

The group of them fell into silence as they picked at their dinner, Ace now doing her best to keep her head down to avoid anymore questions. Daryl came over to grab some of his own, dumping a handful into his mouth. Ace avoiding making eye contact with him again, too.

After she finished, she thanked T-Dog and excused herself back into the RV to check on Jim.

Lori sent her a nod as they swapped positions so she could get some food, Ace sighing as she sat back down. Jim was asleep again, meaning Ace could have a bit of silence. She spent the rest of the evening in there until it got late. Eventually, she retired to the table bench out front once a few others came in to get some sleep. It seemed like everyone was trying to stay inside tonight, a few families packed into their cars, fear lingering from the night prior.

Ace didn't sleep much herself, occasionally going to sit with Jim when he woke up, hacking up a lung. Stress creased lines into her forehead as she watched him, wishing there was more she could do to help.

\-------

Ace shot up so fast that it made her dizzy. She was huffing, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. It took her a long moment to regain consciousness of her surroundings. Thankfully, she hadn't woken anyone in the RV from her nightmare.

She dreamt of Jim's family, oddly enough. The images he instilled in her mind when he described them getting torn from him. But in the dream, it wasn't two little boys. It was Ace watching as Frankie got devoured by the dead.

Ace pushed herself off the bench, sliding her feet onto the floor. She needed fresh air.

Taking a moment to look back in the direction of Jim, she was satisfied to hear uneven breathing and coughing. That meant he was sleeping, but still alive.

Ace slowly opened the door of the RV, doing her best to avoid any squeaking. When there was a big enough gap for her to slide out she did, gently pushing it shut behind her. As she stumbled down the stairs, she sucked in a long, deep breath. It was pitch black besides the glow of the moon, and the crisp nighttime air filled her lungs.

Ace rubbed her hands across her sweaty forehead before moving them to her back, trying to knead some of the pain away. She was unsure about going back into the RV, hot and full of people. She needed the cool night air for a little while longer, for there was no way she was going to fall back asleep anytime soon. Ace pulled out her knife to keep in her hand as she stalked away from the RV, looking across the empty campsite. Her body jolted when she heard a noise, but was unsure of what it was. Slowly, she started making her way across the dirt, over to a car in the direction of the noise.

Ace loosened her posture a bit when she saw the silhouette figure of someone sitting in their car. The door was opened and the body was sitting on the side of the passenger seat, facing outside. Ace started to walk over, making her footsteps loud enough so they could hear and not be startled. But it only took her a few more steps to see who it was.

When she saw Daryl and he looked over to her, she stopped. She stood for a moment, thankful that the silence of the night kept him from snapping at her. Still, she assumed he wanted nothing to do with her. And she was doing her best to avoid him, too.

Ace sent a small nod to him and then turned to walk away.

"Can't sleep?" The southern drawl surprised her, stopping her in her tracks once again. Carefully, she turned back around to face him. She took him in now, noticing a small pint hanging from his right hand. The left pulled a cigarette from his mouth.

"No," Ace said quietly. When he didn't respond for a moment, Ace considered leaving again. But before she could, he held out the pint towards her. Ace was completely taken aback, not sure if this was the same man she spoke to earlier in the day. Out of fear that he would yell if she didn't, Ace slowly approached him.

Daryl didn't look at her as she took the pint from him. She brought it up to smell it, the strong stench of alcohol filling her nostrils. She pulled the bottle back it back to take a look at it.

"Was Merle's," Daryl grumbled, causing Ace to snap her eyes back to him. "Don't seem like he's gonna need it anymore."

His comment had Ace lowering the pint in grief, handing it back to him. Daryl eyed it, then her, huffing. "Ya said ya helped him?" he asked, his voice low. "Gave'em supplies 'n shit?"

Ace nodded.

Daryl grunted, pushing the bottle back towards her. Ace once again was shocked. She didn't need nor deserve his forgiveness, if thats what this was. But there was some sort of mutual understanding about what happened with Merle that had her bringing the pint to her lips, taking a swig. Her face scrunched at the dark liquor, it having been a while. It burned all the way down to her empty stomach. She handed it back to him.

"How'd ya know it was me?" Daryl asked as he took it from her.

Ace shrugged. "Took a guess."

"Pretty random guess," Daryl snarked sarcastically, taking a drink.

"Said he had a camp nearby. And a brother he wanted to get," Ace shrugged again. Seemed like a decent guess to her.

Daryl pulled the bottle from his lips. "He was plannin' on leavin' with ya?"

Ace nodded, making confusion pinch Daryl's forehead. He figured it wouldn't be all fine and dandy if Merle got back here. And they had been planning to get the hell out of here anyway. But he was caught up on something else, rubbing the back of his hand against the scruff on his chin. His brother was a real piece of work, how the hell he got this girl to deal with him was not something that Daryl had ever seen before.

"Why'd ya help him?" Daryl didn't look at her. "Ain't nobody ever helped my brother."

Ace didn't really have an answer for him. It didn't seem like she really had a reason, she just did. Couldn't just let him die for no reason. "He was alive," was all Ace said, not sure how else to put it. When silence grew between them, Daryl scratching at his chin and looking away from her, Ace figured she would head back. She just remembered one last thing. "I heard a car," Ace spoke lowly, nearly a whisper. Daryl glanced at her. "After we got separated. Thought he got out."

Daryl watched her out of the corner of his eye, processing what she said. The van he rode down there in was missing, maybe that was Merle. But Merle would've driven his angry ass right back to camp. When Daryl looked away, Ace took it as her cue to leave. She flexed her hand around her knife and stepped back, turning to head over to the RV again.

"Aye," Daryl called after her when she got halfway there. Ace looked back to him. "T'hell ya say your name was again?"

"Ace," she said back simply.

"Nah, the other one," he grunted.

"Mousiko?" Ace was lost at what he wanted.

Daryl huffed. "Sounds like a fuckin' mouse."

Ace squinted at him, but he turned away, taking a swig from the pint. Ace shook her head, turning back and going off into the RV.

\---------

"Alright, everybody listen up," Shane spoke up. "Those of you with CB's, we're gonna be on channel 40. But lets keep the chatter down, okay? Now if y'all have a problem, can't get ahold of anybody, don't have a CB, gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan."

Ace was leaning against the RV, barely listening as she rubbed at her back.

"Any questions?"

Ace looked up and around at the group scattered before her, Rick and Shane standing in front of them all. It had taken them a while this morning to pack up all the cars, and Ace was itching to get on the road.

"We're, uh-We're not going," Morales announced.

Ace was shifting her gaze around the camp to see saddened looks on every ones face as the family could not be convinced otherwise. Ace felt badly as she watched the children say goodbye to each other, but eventually all she could picture was this family on her own. Just like Jim had lost his wife and sons.

"Box is half full," Shane gave the family a gun and some ammo, which caused Daryl to snort in agitation and take an annoyed step backwards. Ace squinted at him.

As everyone said their goodbyes, Ace started to feel out of place. She pushed herself off the side of the RV, meeting Daryl's eyes as she did so. He sent her a curt nod before turning away, jumping into his truck. Ace was dumbfounded at that small interaction for a moment. But eventually she sighed, moving to head back inside the RV.

*

"What was that?" Jim slurred out, his voice hoarse.

"The RV broke down," Jacqui said softly, wiping some sweat off his forehead.

"That damn hose," Jim scuffed out, coughing immediately after.

Ace sat behind Jacqui against the wall, her jaw set tight. Jim was barely holding on. His fever was burning him up. He had spent the morning jolting in and out of consciousness, rarely ever lucid when he was awake. But now that they were on the road, each bump and turn had him yelling out in pain. There was nothing more pain killers or wet rags would do, but Jacqui kept trying, crying softly as she did. It was horrible to see someone in this much pain, suffering so greatly from this infection.

"God," Jim groaned after his coughing tired out, head rolling side to side. "This rides killing me."

"Sweetheart," Jacqui started, but Jim held her hand back.

"Jacqui, please," he gulped, eyes sinking into his head. "I can't take much more. Please, get Rick."

Jacqui leaned back and glanced over to Ace with tears in her eyes. They shared a look. Jacqui was hoping for something from Ace, but both of them knew there was nothing left. Ace couldn't do anything more to help, and the traveling was making everything more painful for Jim. Jacqui nodded to herself, sucking in a breath before setting down the rag. "Okay," she smiled at Jim before standing up, rushing out of the RV.

"Thank you," Jim spoked, rolling his head over to Ace. "For trying."

Sadness spilled out inside of Ace, his words tugging at her chest. All she could do was send him once last nod, standing up to excuse herself. As Rick came inside the RV, he glanced to Ace. She sent him a look that was telling him it was over before sliding past him.

Ace stepped out side and leaned back against the RV, running her hands down her face. She could hear Rick and Jim speaking inside, but she didn't want to listen. She knew already what they were discussing. Watching the fever take its course had left Ace's head spiraling. And the fact she was useless to do anything to stop it helped none. It was a horrible reminder of the state of the world. How fast you could lose everything.

Ace glanced to her side at the group hanging around the front of the RV. Shane and T-Dog approached, handing some things to Dale so he could start tinkering with the engine. She looked over to see Daryl walking the road, crossbow at his side.

After Shane had discarded the supplies to Dale, he walked over to find Rick, see what was up with Jim. "He in there?" Shane nudged his head to the RV as he approached Ace.

Ace nodded. Shane peaked his head in, but after hearing them talking, stepped back out. He leaned against the other side of the RV door. They stood there in silence waiting, neither having anything to say to the other. Lori and Carol approached, and Ace slid a little bit more to the side, her eyes darting between Shane and Lori, some noticeable tension there. Shortly after, Rick came back out.

"How is he?" Carol asked as Rick came out.

Daryl wandered over to catch the conversation, hanging back around the side of the RV, near Ace who also kept her distance, exhausted.

"He can't take anymore," Rick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Wants us to leave him here."

"Here? On the road?" Lori asked.

"It's what he says he wants," Rick nodded.

"And he's lucid?"

"He seems to be," Rick's head bowed. "I would say yes."

Ace let her eyes close for a second as they carried on with their discussion. She hadn't slept much at all last night, and the weight of leaving Jim here to die was heavy on her. She knew it was the right decision, the only decision. He wanted to be with his family now.

It seemed the group had gathered this as well, Rick and Shane going back inside to help Jim out. As everyone followed them over to the nearest tree, a few meters off the road, Ace hung back.

She didn't have a place there while everyone said their goodbyes.

It was silent as everyone walked away, unable to look back at Jim as they went to their respective vehicles. But Ace did once more before climbing into the RV.

She tried to focus on her sister, getting to the C.D.C. She was on her way, and all she could do was hope for a better ending to the day.


	7. Something For The Pain

_1....2....3..._

Ace held her breath as she looked around, side stepping over decay as she followed after the group. She had not seen anything like this before and she was struggling to get a grip, trying to count her breaths. Bodies scattered across every inch of the hot cement, flesh melting onto the pavement. Old, young, men, and women. The street surrounding the C.D.C. was a road of death, an image nearly impossible for Ace to accept.

Flies buzzed in every corner, landing on sunken in heads. Ace couldn't tell if these had been living people or biters. Something had happened here. There were barricades made out of sand bags in which army personnel laid behind. A few tanks sat out front of the building. And the amount of bodies piled up so closely made Ace think this was a massacre. Hundreds, if not _thousands_ of corpses.

A pit formed in her gut, hope that Frankie would be here was leaving her. Ace didn't see a bus, but she also didn't see any young children dead on the ground. She bit her tongue to keep herself from vomiting, doing everything she could to keep her eyes trained on the people in front of her, rather than looking around. The sun had set, leaving a grey haze in the sky before darkness came over. Ace knew they either had to get inside or get back to their cars.

Coughs and gags started to erupt from the group, all walking fast paced behind Rick. "Come on, keep moving!"

Shane hushed everyone, jogging around the side of the group, shot gun on a swivel.

They moved faster when the front of the C.D.C. was close by, a courtyard separating them. More cries and hushed motivations to get there rang out, but Ace was dead silent. She was doing all she could to not fall ill at the sight in front of her. Her bones rattled from all the death, stomach churning with each breath she took. The smell of rotten bodies burned her nose, making her head dizzy.

Rick and Shane jogged over to the doors, Ace staying in the back, trying to keep her mind alert. If any of these bodies were biters, they had to be ready. If all of them were biters, they were dead.

Shutters were covering the C.D.C. doors, ones which Rick nor Shane could pull up or find a button to release.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog shook his head.

Rick glanced back, his eyes widened. "Then why are these shutters down?"

Shane started to pound on the shutters, panic spreading quickly. Rick was right, if the C.D.C. had fallen, it would be gaping open, wouldn't it? Or they locked it up right when the news came, stopping anyone from leaving. Any contaminants getting out. They could all be dead in there. And if these shutters were still down, it meant Frankie didn't make it here.

The pit in Ace's stomach grew to the size of a boulder.

The noise they were making attracted a lone biter that Ace noticed stumbling down the street at them. The pit fell in her gut and she quickly looked to Daryl, who was closest to her as he circled the outside of the group. She snapped her fingers at him, getting his attention. She then pointed to the biter, his crossbow being the best silent weapon.

"Walkers!" Daryl called out and nodded to Ace before stepping up, shooting a bolt into its head.

Carl and Sophia started to cry, their mothers too shocked to know how to calm them down.

Daryl turned back and ran towards Rick, his adrenaline pumping. "You led us into a _graveyard_!"

"He made a call!" Dale defended to an angry Daryl.

"Well it's the WRONG DAMN CALL!" Daryl's voice was venomous and Ace watched as Shane came up, yelling and shoving Daryl back. "Shut up! You hear me," Shane shoved Daryl. " _Shut up_."

Everyone was on high alert, stress and fear eating them alive, making them turn on each other. Ace snapped her head around as Shane went to Rick, pressing him now. Darkness was upon them, blurring Ace's vision as she watched more walkers stand up in the distance. They had to go. Now. But the group was tripping over themselves, crying and screaming at each other.

"Where do we go?" Carol cried, clinging to her daughter.

"Fort Benning, Rick," Shane breathed heavily. "Still an option."

"On what?" Andrea pressed. "No food, no fuel. Thats 100 miles."

"125, I checked the map," Glenn leaned in to add, fear cracking his voice.

Daryl now noticed the walkers coming that Ace was watching, grabbing an extra rifle from T-Dog and cocking it. They didn't want to shoot a gun this close to the city, but they were about to get cornered here. They were dead if they stayed.

Ace glanced around, silently begging for these people to get it together. They had to go. Ace debated if she should make a run for it. They could at least discuss this in the RV, they were too exposed out here in the dark.

Finally, Shane and Dale started pushing everyone away. "Lets get out of here. Lets go."

Ace waited for the children to get in front of her before she started rushing off, keeping her eyes peeled at the biters. They were far enough away for now, but they were going to have to take them out on their way.

"The camera!" Rick called back, getting everyone to stop in their tracks. "It moved."

"You imagined it," Dale huffed.

"It moved."

"Rick," Shane ran back, pressing a hand on his chest. "It's dead, man. It's an automatic device. It's gears, okay? Now come on!"

Rick pleaded, standing his ground. Shane started to roughly pull at him, shoving him away.

And then Ace watched, shock on her face as Rick started to yell and bang at the shutters again. Ace didn't know what to do. She went from standing tense in front of the children, wanting to shield them from this all, to lingering on the outside of the group, inching away from them.

"You're _killing_ us!" Rick pleaded. "Please! You're KILLING US!" He yelled and begged more, the noise only causing more biters to wander up.

Lori ran up to help drag Rick back, Carl's cries successfully ripping the defeated man away from the door. Ace started to run again, but they all only made it a few more steps.

A loud screeching echoed through the night, making them all freeze. The shutters had opened.

Ace frantically spun around, her eyes wide as her hand that was holding her gun fell. The light that shot out from the building blinded her, and for a moment she felt a piece of hope break away at the pit in her stomach.

"Cover the back!"

Already being in the back of the group, Ace snapped out of her initial shock and brought her gun up again. Daryl stayed back as well, both turning to face the oncoming walkers, taking backwards steps as the group rushed inside. One at a time they slid into the building, feeling the instant change in temperature.

"Hello?" Rick's voice bounced around the large interior.

"Close those doors," A voice came from the distance.

Ace quickly backed inside and shut the doors behind her, holding them closed for a moment as she looked through the glass at the biters. Ace then turned around, breathing heavily as her eyes danced across the two story entryway. It looked completely untouched, the sent of death now leaving her nose.

The sound of a gun cocking in the distance made everyone raise their weapons, hearts hammering loudly. Ace peered through bodies, eyes landing on a man across the hallway.

"Anybody infected?" He shouted, his voice echoing.

"One of our group was," Rick gulped. "He didn't make it."

Ace frowned, watching this new man carefully. He was clean. Fresh clothes. He wasn't comfortable holding his weapon. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

Ace cocked her head to the side. Two questions he should know the answer to.

"A chance," Rick pleaded.

Everyone was still, catching their breath as they watched the man take them all in. His eyes darted to each and every one of them. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

Ace felt like the blood had been drained from her body.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed," The man lowered his gun, pointing behind them as he walked over.

Rick sent a nod, him and few others immediately started rushing outside to the cars to get their stuff. Ace hung back, holding her gun at her side. She watched the man carefully. She was angry at how unscathed he was. He had been here the whole time, which means there was food here, too, and enough for just him. If there were others, they would have run out. And it seemed like not many people were let in. Chances are, Frankie wasn't here.

When everyone sprinted back inside, the man spoke again.

"Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here," he swiped a card into a panel near the door, speaking into it. Ace paused, was there someone else? Who was he speaking to? As the shutters came back down, Ace felt uneasy.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner," he introduced himself.

Ace lagged behind and she followed after everyone, the Doctor leading them away. She searched every nook and cranny she walked past with her eyes, trying so desperately to see Frankie, see some sign of life. But, when they were led into an elevator, she let her head hang low. She even felt her lungs grow tighter as they went underground, packed way too closely to everyone. Ace tensed being so close.

"Doctors always go around packin' heat like that?" Daryl asked, more unbothered than the rest.

"There were plenty left lying around, I familiarized myself," Jenner joked lightly. No one responded.

Ace let out a breath when the elevator doors opened, quickly separating herself from everyone. She stayed back behind them as they were lead down a white hallway covered in offices, over to into a huge room. "Vi, bring up the lights to the big room. Welcome to Zone 5."

Ace's eyes danced around all the monitors and devices in the room, having seen nothing like it in her life. Desks and empty chairs sat at each one. No one was there.

"Where is everybody? The other doctors? The staff?" Rick asked.

"I'm it."

Ace didn't move forward anymore, letting space become bigger between her and the rest of the group. He's it. This doctor is it.. No Frankie, no other scientists or survivors. Just him. Ace's faced scrunched in suspicion. Why just him?

Ace kept her posture strong in front of these people, but yet again the color was draining from her face when they were now led through the room and into a laboratory to get their blood drawn. Ace looked around, trying to see if she could make a run for it. It reminded her of the hospital. They all shuffled in as Jenner gathered the necessary supplies, telling everyone to go wait in the attached classroom. Everyone stayed close, sitting in chairs and on the floor in one side of the room. Ace wandered back further, sitting in a seat behind everyone else, eyes closing for a moment when the pressure was relieved from her feet.

Ace looked up as Daryl came by, leaning on the wall close to her seat. He glanced at her and sent a nod before looking away. Ace paused, curious at him. It seemed he was no longer angry with her after their conversation last night. But it seemed like there was something else, something more than that. He didn't need to stick by her, but he did. Maybe because of Merle.

Jenner sat at a small table, allowing everybody to come up one by one. Ace didn't move a muscle, watching as everyone went before her. She was trying to give her self positive, encouraging thoughts. Eventually everyone had gone, leaving Ace. They were all still in the room, all still looking at her. She sat there for a moment, but after the awkwardness grew to a maximum in the room, she shakily pressed out of the seat and over to the doctor. Not making eye contact with anyone, she sat down slowly and lifted her arm up, setting it on the table.

"Not a fan of needles?" Jenner asked, noticing her hesitation. All Ace could do was nod, wanting to disappear from this room and everyones gaze. It was funny, she could administer needles to others just fine, but never herself.

Jenner still rolled up her sleeve, but froze when it got up to her elbow, seeing all the old puncture wounds and small holes that got infected or bruised from her last treatment. Jenner cleared his throat and looked up to the rest of the group. "There is a dining room down the hall," he started. "You all can head there, start helping yourselves to whatever."

Everybody looked at each other when they heard the mention of food, immediately pushing themselves up. "Except you," he looked sternly to Ace. Luckily not everyone noticed and had already started leaving the room. Daryl and Shane slowed their walk, eyeing Ace behind them. Ace didn't meet their eyes.

"Now.. you don't look like a heroin user," Jenner stated when everyone had left, looking down at her arm as he set up to take her blood.

"M'not," Ace mumbled. "Chemo."

Jenner nodded to himself, removing his hands from her arm. "What kind of cancer?"

"Schwannoma," Ace informed him, glancing down. "MPNST."

"When?" Jenner perked his head up.

"Few years ago," Ace swallowed. "But, uh, the pain. It's back."

Jenner leaned back and nodded slowly, taking it in. Ace looked at him, trying to read his face. He was a doctor, right? Could he help her? At least to ease the pain so she could keep on searching for her sister. "The blood test wont tell us much," Jenner picked up the needle. Ace sucked in a shaky breath, doing anything but look at it. "But after you get some food and shower, I could take a look. If you want."

Ace was taken aback, watching him. Slowly, she nodded. For a moment, she was distracted, but then her head lulled when the needed poked her skin. She felt nausea in her system, head starting to spin, so she squeezed her eyes shut. Quickly, Jenner placed a bandaid on her arm and stood up, packing a way the viles of blood from her sight. "Meet me in the big room when you are finished."

Ace paused to count down from 10, doing her best not to pass out. Jenner waited for her to grab her belongings. She was distracted as he lead her to the dining room.

Once they got there, laughter could be heard roaring from inside. They were diving into the cabinets, pulling out food and drinks, nearly in heaven. Ace wanted to feel joy, but she was way too out of it as she came in. She went to a counter separate from the groups dining table, sitting up on a stool and taking her bag off.

"Jenner," T-Dog grabbed the doctor's attention when he walked in for a brief moment. "Let me cook for you tonight."

Jenner glanced around carefully, sending T-Dog a nod before walking back out. T-Dog grinned, announcing aloud his excitement as he started to list all the things he could make with these supplies. Dale and Jacqui started pulling out bottles of wine, making Lori rush over with a laugh. Daryl was picking through cabinets, grabbing anything useful, not hesitating to eat whatever he could find.

As T-Dog started to make spaghetti, explaining this special sauce he could cook up, Dale started to hand out wine glasses. He brought one over to Ace, pausing for a moment when he noticed her spaced out. "You alright, dear?"

Ace looked up, not having noticed him come over. She shook off her thoughts and nodded, trying to send him a convincing smile. Dale considered her for a moment before he came to a realization. She had been hoping to find someone here. "Your sister..."

Ace met his eyes, nodding again. She didn't want to speak about her cancer or the stress that caused, either. She just had a lot on her mind.

"Well, lets get you a drink," Dale patted her shoulder, setting down a wine glass for her.

Daryl, who had come over to dig through the alcohol cabinet, glanced at them. "Gonna need somethin' stronger than that, old man," Daryl joked, snatching a bottle of liquor from above him and sliding it over. Ace met his eyes for only a second before he went back to the group, confusing her again.

Dale laughed, grabbing the bottle. He raised an eyebrow at Ace in question. A shy smile perked the corner of her lips and she nodded. "Come join us," Dale urged her, not trying to overstep but aching to include the younger woman. Ace glanced at the group across from him, unsure. She wasn't one for loud dinner parties, or being so close to a group of people. Dale got her attention when he gave her a glass, pouring some of the dark liquor into it. "This is cause enough to celebrate," he smiled at the alcohol.

Dale's happiness was rubbing off on Ace, making her glad at least he was able to enjoy himself. Not wanting to bring unwanted attention if she stayed by her lonesome, Ace gave into Dale and stood up. He smiled, leading her to an open seat at the table. He sat next to her.

Ace tried her best to present a normal face, but was caught in her thoughts as everyone around her stirred. Their excitement could crack a hole through the roof. It had been a long time since any of them were in a place they could be loud and carefree, so the group didn't hold back.

When Jenner came back in, Ace glanced up at him. There was something about him that bothered her, but all she could see was a shy man, awkwardly sitting at an empty table. Dale immediately went over to give him some wine. Ace started to consider what information he would be able to give her about her cancer. She wasn't sure it had returned, but she had a suspicion. The ache was something she remembered clearly. Stress sunk her eyes into her head. Watching Jim today had reminded her of what it was like to succumb to an illness.

T-Dog announcing the food was ready had a few people going up to help him. They passed out plates and more silverware. Ace thanked him as she received her food, happy to have something to distract her. It grew silent for a moment as everyone started stuffing themselves, but it didn't take long for more cheers to come out.

Ace picked slowly at her pasta, fearful of how the heavy meal would hit her empty stomach. But she knew she could use the energy, and perhaps something to counteract the alcohol. Ace stayed silent as they continued, not looking up until Dale started to convince Lori to give Carl a taste of wine. Ace smiled softly to herself as Carl nearly spat the drink out.

"Stick to soda pop there, bud," Shane chuckled, but his voice not nearly as happy as the others. Ace eyed him.

"Not you, Glenn," Daryl pointed at Glenn, making a nervous grin take over the younger mans face. "Keep drinkin', little man. I wanna see how red your face can get." The group roared out in laughter again, Ace smirking. Daryl's energy was completely different than she had experienced before. This group was notorious for showing off their highs and lows.

Things winded down as Rick stood to give a cheers to their host, Jenner, who silently lingered in the back. It wasn't until Shane spoke that all the smiles faded. "So when you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc?"

Although Ace was glad someone brought it up, finally getting some answers, something about Shane rubbed her the wrong way.

"We're celebratin', Shane. Don't need to do this now," Rick stopped him, avoiding eyes as he sat back down. It was then Ace started to fully notice the tension between the two.

Jenner took Shane's attitude in stride. "Well, when things got bad a lot of people just.. left," he shrugged. "Went off to be with their families." The group nodded, all turning to watch him. "And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane almost smirked, asking sarcastically. Shane and Ace thought the same when they assumed something was off with the C.D.C., but Shane had no problem accusing the doctor.

"No," Jenner stated harshly. "Many couldn't face walking out the door. They.. _opted out_. There was a rash of suicides... that was a bad time."

Most of the group bowed their heads. All had faced that dilemma before.

"You didn't leave. Why?" Andrea pressed.

Looking down, Jenner sighed. "I just kept working, hoping to do some good."

\--------

"Mommy, I won again!" Sophia laughed as she placed her last set of cards down. Ace smiled lightly as her and Carl high-fived each other. Sophia came down to the office space Ace picked to stay in, asking if she wanted to play some games with and Carl. Ace was just about to get into her shower, and was aching to go speak to Jenner, but she could not say no to the face that reminded her so much of Frankie.

They had already played multiple of the board games here, and then Sophia's favorite; Go Fish. "You're very good. Much better than me," Ace said lowly to both Sophia and Carl, making them smile.

"Hey Sophia, sweetie, I think we should give Ace a break, let her go take her shower," Carol said, looking up from the book she was reading. Carl and Sophia pouted, which made Ace smile, and she was about to say it was fine, but Carol spoke up again. "Anyways, I think it's time for bed soon, huh? Might be able to finally get some sleep, it's a miracle," Carol sat up and Ace gave her a nod before heading out of the rec room after saying goodnight to the kids. She really was looking forward to that shower.

Luckily, there was no mirror in the bathroom stalls. Ace didn't want to see how awful she looked. She could feel it. She could feel her knotty rats nest for hair. Her dirty, bruised, and sickly body. The tiredness in her eyes and the hunch she always had in her back.

She nearly had to peal herself out of her clothes before stepping in the stream, making her senses tingle.

Ace made her shower quick, not wanting to use too much of the limited water, but also gave herself enough time to enjoy it and wash off completely. And when she stepped out, completely refreshed, she savored the feeling.

There was a towel and a brush inside the cabinets under the sink, so Ace gladly used them. Once dried off, she grabbed the brush and started dragging it through her hair until it was smooth again. Her hair never was the same after she lost it all from the chemo. It grew back more thin and straight, the color not as prominent either. Most of the time she just tied it back with her bandana or something, but for now she let it hang as she went back to her room. She was more than satisfied to have found some clean clothing to exchange for her dirty ones. Although, she still kept her flannel on top.

Ace then sighed, leaving to go find her way down to the computer room and speak to Jenner. Her steps were slow, unwanting. But she needed to, she knew it. If not for her, for Frankie.

Ace had heard voices throughout the hall, but luckily was able to make it to the computer room without running into anyone. When she did, she stopped at the doorway, looking around for someone, only barely spotting Jenner sitting at a computer. "Welcome," he acknowledged her, hearing her footsteps. He spun around in his chair and Ace came over tediously.

"Please sit," Jenner brought over a chair and Ace hesitated, but sat down, noticing all the papers scattered in front of him. He didn't hesitate once she did. "Firing up any machines would pull too much power, unfortunately. But, if you are comfortable with it, I could take a look."

Ace studied his face, considering his words. Although uncomfortable, she thought it would be good to have a second pair of eyes. He was a doctor, he would know what was going on, right?

"Um," Ace nodded. "Okay."

She shifted a bit in her chair, rotating so he was at her side. She spared him one more glance as she lifted the bottom of her shirt, revealing her lower back. "Hm," Jenner slid over in his chair, observing the old scar from the removal surgery. Gently, he placed his fingers on her spine, the pressure making Ace clench her jaw. He carefully started massaging around the scar, feeling around.

When he sighed and sat back, Ace dropped her shirt, immediately turning to him. His brows were furrowed. He looked to her. "Theres a protrusion," he admitted.

Ace's face paled.

"Its not uncommon," Jenner offered. "Especially with spinal tumors, it's often they come back in the same place."

Ace didn't know what to say. Although she had her suspicions it came back, she hadn't wanted to hear it. Didn't want to actually face it.

"There's some literature here, I can try to look into it, but," Jenner paused, letting out a sigh. "The best thing for now is just to take something for the pain."

Ace was speechless, eyes glued to Jenner as she waited for him to say something else. _Anything_ else. And Jenner looked as if he was about to say something, but then glanced upwards, shutting his mouth when he did. Ace followed his line of sight, seeing a big digital clock, counting down to something. She wondered what that was about and why it stopped him from speaking. "Get some sleep tonight, I'll look into it."

Ace looked back at him, "thank you." She stood up, letting him get back to whatever he was doing with a bunch of papers in front of him. Ace was numb as she started walking back, letting her socks slide a little bit, but then stopped, remembering something. "You.. You haven't had any little kids around here?"

"No. I'm sorry," he looked up at her for a moment. Ace nodded, trying to give him a thankful smile, but she quickly turned around, letting her mouth fall agape in sadness. In pain.

She stumbled back to her room, taking a moment to stop in the kitchen and grab a bottle of liquor. She passed by Rick in the hallway on her way out, but did not spare him a glance.

And when she got into her room, she just stood there, looking around. She spotted the couch pressed up against the wall. Ace slowly walked over, letting the hand holding the bottle dangle down loosely as she looked at it. She let her eyes get lost in it. They were here, in the CDC. They were safe, fed, and given the small luxuries they were missing out on, but Ace's heart was broken. Another place her little sister wasn't. And the thought of that tore at Ace completely. Frankie should be the one here in safety, not her.

She was dying anyways.

Ace took a big breath in, only to have it come back out as a choked sob. She quickly took shaky breaths in to quiet it and brought the bottle up to her mouth, pouring the bronze liquid down her throat.


	8. Everything You Ever Were or Will Be

Ace woke up with a jerk, knocking over the bottle of booze that sat in her lap. She jumped up, cursing as she spilt it onto the floor.

Sighing, Acee picked up the bottle and sat it upright, rubbing a hand over her face. She hadn't been able to sleep all night, entirely gave up on the thought when she started jotting down info in her calendar. She had dozed off with the light still on, thinking about day 44.

Ace took a disoriented moment to look around, remembering where she was and what happened before she sat up, rubbing her wet eyes.

Ace sighed and pushed herself off the bed slowly after taking a minute staring at the mess she made. For a moment, her mind wandered to the pain in her back, and she wished she was still asleep. To distract herself, she figured she would clean up the spillage. Ace straightened up her clothing before sliding out of her room and into the dark hallway to find the dining hall. She kept her steps as quiet as possible to not disturb anyone, although they were all probably passed out drunk. It had to be a few hours before sunrise.

Arriving in the kitchen, she didn't hesitate to start searching through cupboards, top and bottom ones. She did end up finding an apple in the mess of supplies in here, so she shrugged and took a large bite out of it. Ace took some more delicious bites and she continued her search. She happened to find a blue sponge under the sink, so some cleaner had to be nearby.

"Lookin for somethin'?" A raspy voice slurred out of no where, making Ace jump and spin around quickly, whacking her head on the counter top as she did. She bit her lip to hold back her groan of angry pain, but still was yelling at Daryl inside her head. "Watch out for the counter."

"Asshole," Ace mumbled under her breath, pulling her head from underneath the cabinet. The lack of sleep and night of bad news made her wish she didn't have to interact with another person for a few more days.

"Heard tha'," Daryl shuffled so he was leaning against the counter nearby while he took a swig of Southern Comfort, studying her. "Really, what'cha lookin for?"

"Nothin'," Ace mumbled, grabbing the cleaner she found with great timing and stood up. She kicked the doors closed and gave Daryl a nod before starting to walk back to her room.

"What's up yer' ass? Didn't get ya beauty sleep?" 

Ace paused, not turning back to look at him. She didn't have a response to his snarky remark and just wanted to go back and wallow in self pity alone. In the silence Daryl looked down, biting at his thumb.

"Kinda hoped my brother might'a been here, too," Daryls voice was lower now, suggesting to Ace that he had heard her speak of her sister. His words surprised Ace, making her turn back around to look at him. For a moment they looked at each other, which was odd. Daryl wasn't like this, not usually. But here he was. And here Ace was, getting along with him.

Ace didn't know what to say. She knew nearly exactly how he felt, but no way to express herself. So they both just looked at each other with a mutual understanding. Ace took in Daryl's appearance; the same sleeveless button up shirt that was sloppily tucked into his torn up pants. His dirty blonde hair that was all messy from not being brushed after his shower. He clung to a bottle, pulling it against himself. Had he even gone to bed yet?

When both Daryl and Ace realized they were staring at each other for too long, they shyly looked down. Daryl cleared his throat and pushed himself away from the counter drunkenly. "Gotta piss."

Daryl stepped around Ace, not looking her way again as he headed back to his room. Ace stood there for a moment, lost in thought, before she went to hers as well.

\-----

When Daryl entered the dining hall in the morning, having heard commotion, his eyes scanned the room. Ace was sitting much farther away from the rest of the group, up on a stool by the counter. She had a pile of books she picked out of the library, one she was reading while eating some eggs T-Dog handed her.

Daryl's stomach growled and his feet shuffling caught peoples attention. Everyone grumbled a good morning to him, but everyone was too hungover to give half a shit. So he just grunted and went over to the food T-dog made, helping himself to a plate.

Ace was buried in her book at the time, the noises and chatter from the others fuzzy in her ears. She was absorbed in the text that talked about cancer, and if someone were to look at her, it would be easy to tell she was in another world. She did know exactly when to start paying attention again, though, and that was when Jenner walked in. He made eye contact with Ace, seeming to have words he wanted to speak to her, but just turned in the direction of the coffee.

Dale had read Ace's mind and started questioning Jenner, as well as Andrea. Ace listened intently while now scanning the room, taking it all in like everything and everyone were calculations in her head. It's like each expression of a person here was a piece of the puzzle she needed to figure out this group. But the problem was, as far as she could tell with her own opinion, this group was broken... A few of their puzzle pieces are missing.

Ace put her full attention back onto Jenner after she watched Shane and Lori. They could not be more obvious about their _situation_.

"We didn't come here for the eggs," Andrea snarked to Jenner.

Jenner sighed and picked up his coffee, "follow me."

Ace left her books on the counter as she followed behind everyone back towards the computer room. Ace frowned as it reminded her of what Jenner had said last night.

Ace was the last to join them, taking a spot in the back, as usual. No one really noticed her presence, she even doubts if they would notice if she had a loaded gun on them right now, somehow planning to kill them all. Which she wasn't, just watching as Jenner pushed a few buttons on a monitor.

"Give me playback of test subject 19," Jenner spoke aloud, Vi responding shortly after, lighting up a large screen hanging from the wall.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this... Very few," Jenner reminded them and Ace squinted at the images on the screen. There was a lot of scientific stuff that Ace didn't even want to try and figure out, but the main images were just what looked to be some x-ray of a head scan. The picture enhanced for an internal view, showing off a very detailed brain. Carl, being the curious kid he is, was the first to asked questions.

In normality, Ace would have smiled at him, but she was to amazed by the moving image of a brain above her. There were lights streaming throughout it, some of different colors, and the details of it were keeping Ace's eyes locked. "It's a person's light, experiences, memories.. It's everything," Jenner started and Ace's eyes were darting from him, back to the screen quickly. "Somewhere in all those orbitals of light.. Is you.. The thing that makes you unique.. _human_."

"You don't make sense.. ever?" Daryl said, crossing his arms, scowling at the screen.

"Those are synapses: electric impulses in the brain that deliver all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks, from the moment of birth to the moment of death," Jenner smiled lightly after catching some of the groups expressions.

Ace looked down, his words making her think over her own impending death. And everything that had led up to it.

"Death? That's what this is.. a vigil?" Rick stepped forward.

"Yes. Or rather the playback of the vigil."

"This person died.. Who?" Andrea spoke in. And now that everyone was adding in, Ace decided to turn her attention back to them. She studied everyone again, reading all their expressions. And the way Jenner spoke, or avoided telling, about the person in the vigil, Ace could tell it was someone dear to him. "Scan forward to first event," Jenner stopped others from continuing with questions. Ace watched again, this time the colorful brain turning dark. She was watching it die. "Then death," Jenner said solemnly. "Everything you ever we're or ever will be. Gone."

Ace was smacked across the face by watching this person die. Jenner's words only reminding her Jim, who suffered this same fate. The others she knew. And then of her cancer that was sucking the life out of her like this. _Gone._

The monitor that was dark lit up again. Jenner started explaining about the Resurrection. The brain, or brain stem, had restarted.. It didn't make any sense.

Ace had considered that maybe they hadn't died in the first place, but no, that didn't make sense either. She just watched this test subject die, then come to life. But not fully back. It was just hard to process.

Ace looked away when a large slash went through the brain on the screen, getting shot. All she could do was listen as conversation started up around her, making everything feel worse. As they spoke, her eyes found the large clock, counting down, that she had seen last night. She hadn't given it much thought after Jenner said what he did about her cancer, but now, it was worrying her.

"So its not just here? There's nothing left, anywhere.." Andrea's voice started to raise. "Thats what you're really saying, right?"

When Jenner didn't respond, it truly hit each person in that room. There's no one left.

Ace felt like there was a freight train going around on full speed inside of her head. "Man, imma' get shitfaced drunk again," Daryl said, pacing as he rubbed his face.

Ace guesses he felt the same.


	9. Our Extinction of End

"Dr. Jenner, I know that this has been taxing for you and I'd hate to ask one more question, but that clock.." Dale pointed to the same large clock that Ace was watching. Dale had noticed her staring at it, pushing him to ask. "It's counting down.. What happens at zero?"

"The basement generators. They.... run out of fuel," Jenner spit out, too fast and suspicious for anyone's liking. Then he turned and left the room immediately. No one really got their answer, and Jenner's reaction made Ace stand up straight.

"Vi, what happens when the power runs out?" Rick asked into the room.

"When the power runs out, facility wide decontamination will occur," the monotone voice stated. Ace was up and alert as soon as she heard the last few words.

"Shane, T-Dog, Glenn," Rick walked over to them. "The basement, it's where the fuel and generators are kept. You guys come with me, the rest of you go back to your rooms and wait."

Ace pushed herself up and walked across the room, meeting Rick in his path to the door. "Rick," she broke her silence. The four men stopped, eyeing her impatiently. She stumbled over her words for a moment. "S'not safe here."

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked.

"I think the labs are going to self destruct," Ace stated quietly. "We all have to go."

"Go?" Lori overheard and stepped over. "We can't leave."

Rick glanced between them all, Shane's eyes hard on Ace.

"Leave? We just got a break," Carol added, now everyone in the group looking over to Ace, making her cringe. "Rick, how do we know we can listen to her?" Frantically, Carol questioned Ace's integrity, making Ace's face scrunch. Ace understood that Carol was scared, but still swore at her many times inside of her head before turning back to Rick. Ace didn't talk much, so these people should know that when she does, they better listen. Ace doesn't even know why they're still doubting her, when that timer makes it entirely obvious. Why would they have such a big countdown to run out of fuel?

"Relax. Relax," Rick put his hands out, looking at everyone around him. "Just stay here. We're gonna check it out," that was the last of it before him and the rest of the guys they called ran off.

Ace ran her hands over her face with a pained sigh, looking around at the group. They all ignored her, pretending like she wasn't there. "Come on Carl, let's head back to the room," Lori reached out for Carl, acting as if all was normal.

Ace didn't know what to do. She looked around, trying to catch anyone's eyes, Daryl's being the only ones who would give her a chance. Ace shot him a desperate look, but he just looked back totally confused.

Ace turned and started rushing out the same door Rick did, back to her room, skidding to a stop while she held onto the door frame, nearly running past it in her distracted mindset. She immediately went inside and started grabbing her backpack, it still being packed, even with some more clothes she put in there earlier. She always liked to have her bag ready, you never know when you've got to get up and run. Like now.

She threw her bag over her shoulders and tried to decided what she would do next. And before she knew it, she was off again. She spotted the office with glass windows that she had walked by multiple times the past night when coming up the stairs, but this time saw Jenner inside.

Ace didn't even knock, just walked right in. He wasn't facing her, sitting in a chair, but he sensed her presence. "Self-destruction?" Ace asked him, staring at his back.

Jenner turned around to look at her with curiosity, but then sighed, leaning back on his swivel chair. His lack of response once again told Ace what she needed to know, making her face fall. "We gotta go," Ace repeated, noticing he was too calm. The suspicions she had about him in the beginning were starting to make sense now. He knew this whole time he was keeping them in here. Had his plan been to kill them all?

Jenner looked at Ace for a moment, studying her frantic face. "Why?"

Ace didn't say anything, but had confusion and fear written all over her.

"Why?" Jenner repeated, sitting up again. "One millisecond, no pain.. No more suffering, guilt, grief... Why go? Especially you should understand," He pointed to her. "Your cancer..." he stood up, going to his desk and picking up a folder, barely scanning through what's inside. "I did some research last night, tested your blood, too... The results were," he shook his head, not being able to finish his sentence. "Either way.." Jenner continued, getting back on track. "Either way your cancer is going to destroy you.. No medicine, no chemo.. It's only a matter of time."

Ace was just watching him with wide eyes, shaking her head as he talked. Each word he spoke was a knife into her gut. "I have a sister.. I have to find her.."

"I'm sorry. But really...what are the chances in this that you'll find her? Alive at least?"

Ace was taken aback, "I'll find her.." She mumbled, sounding so vulnerable that her voice nearly cracked. She was more of trying to convince herself now after being shot down again.

"Do you not understand?" Jenner took a step towards Ace, who was just barely standing there. "This is what takes us down.. This is our extinction of end."

Ace didn't say anything, couldn't as she looked at Jenner with wide eyes. The point he had was so very clear, especially with her. But she can't just.. just give up. Not on Frankie. Not even on herself. She believes that she has a purpose, that there is someone, something out there.. What happens when this settles down or there is some civilization restarting again? She just needs a chance. "How is this even an option for you?" Jenner asked. "How do you think you can survive this?"

Ace's whole body was shaking as she let Jenner go on.

"You have cancer during the end of the world. That makes it _terminal_ cancer!" He shouted. "There is no medicine, no doctors anymore! The chances.." He trailed off for a moment. "You've gone through it before.. You know what it feels like. You're going to wither away! And if you do find your sister, all it's going to be is another painful goodbye."

"I can.. I can find medicine," she gulped, body quivering, slowly draining of hope.

Jenner sighed. "I don't know what else to say to make you see the rational thing to do here!"

"I'll go down fighting," Ace breathed, trying to keep her voice strong. "I have to."

Jenner took a moment to regain his calmness, studying Ace. She kept herself sturdy, her eyes burning into his. Jenner sighed and then nodded, turning back to his desk, grabbing the file he was looking at before. "I thought that.. maybe.. maybe if I could convince you.. If this was something you wanted.." he looked down at the folder as Ace grew more and more confused. "It had to be your choice whether or not you wanted to try.. To fight," Jenner looked to her only for a moment, but his eyes held seriousness "You need to get out."

"What?" Ace's head was boggling. He just spent all that time trying to convince her to stay, but now he's doing the opposite? Why was her choice such a big deal? "Topsides locked down. If you can get out.. _Run_. Go. Find somewhere safe. And take this," he shoved the file over to her, Ace hesitantly taking it.

"There's a list of medicine in there that you might be able to scavenge," Jenner pointed to the file in Ace's hands, but then remembered something. "If you ever are near a hospital, don't hesitate to go in. They might have what you need for chemo if you ever find a safe place to settle down, understand?" Jenner walked to his desk, opened the drawer, and grabbed something, all by the time he came back to Ace. She looked down at what was in his hand curiously, seeing many pill bottles. "Take one of each everyday if you get out. They will help, but eventually, you'll need that medicine from the hospital."

"W-What? Why?.. How?" Ace didn't know which one of the questions in her head to ask, looking down out the glass windows that over looked the computer room, the group still not back. The clock nearly at the half hour mark.

"Don't worry about your group. Just try to get out," Jenner looked down at her while handing her the pill bottles. After he emptied his hands, he pushed past her, leaving the room.

Ace was confused as all hell and stunned. She didn't know what the hell was going on and was trying not to grow frantic again, but that has been proven to be very hard. She quickly went over to his desk and took her backpack off, setting it down on the table so she could dump all the pill bottles he gave her inside. She was about to put the file in, but stopped herself.

Ace saw the list Jenner had talked about inside, along with a bunch of other printed out papers that had a ton of numbers and shit that she couldn't make sense of. But written all over everything was _TS-20_. There were a few other sheets of information about her cancer and at the bottom of one was a note scribbled out in pen:

_TS-20 was tested along with the rest of the subjects, but TS-20's results came up different than the rest._

_After combining the sample with the freshest of the last reincarnated subject, more information came to knowledge._

_TS-20 came back positive._

Ace had no idea what that meant or who TS-20 was, her head still running around trying to make sense of things. But it was the loud sirens going off, echoing around the building, that made her look out the glass windows, seeing everyone was back, surrounding Jenner in the large room.

"30 minutes until decontamination occurs," Vi, the monotone voice rang out.

Ace watched in fear as everyone was down there, trying to talk to Jenner who was just ignoring them. He should be helping them! Why his he not helping them?!

Ace stuffed the file into her backpack, barely giving herself time to zip it back up before she was sprinting out of the office and down the stairs to the computer room. Her heart was going to pound out of her chest, her head exploding at the same time. The constant ringing of the loud alarm only added to her adrenaline. When she turned the corner to where the doorway of the large computer room was, she could hear everyone's yells. Daryl and Rick were the only ones that noticed her running up, but suddenly a large steel wall was coming out from the ground of the doorway. Ace was only able to share a look from Daryl before the steel door shut completely.

Ace let out a yell, lunging towards the door, banging on it, the same as they started to do. Jenner locked them in? And locked her out.

Ace pounded on the door, searching around for a handle or a button, anything to get it open. But there was nothing. So she kept pounding, yelling at the group on the other side who was trying to yell to her. When nothing seemed to be working she took a step back from the door, running a shaky hand through her hair and over her face, not knowing what to do.

1....2...3...

She counted in her head, getting her fear under control, letting herself feel it for those 3 seconds only, then adapting to it, becoming one with the situation.

Once calmed down enough she stopped and breathed.

Think.

At first Ace thought to shoot the door, maybe find a weapon around here to hit at it with, but after going back up to it and feeling the cold hard steel of it, she knew that it wouldn't happen.

Ace put her ear up to the door next. It was hard, but she could hear all the yells of fear and anger going around the group, but then something else. Vi's voice came back, this time informing the whole building about HIT's. Ace listened, hearing sobs come from the other side of the door when the monotone voice stopped. The air was going to be lit on fire, a more severe form of self-destruction than Ace had imagined.

"Ace! Ya hear me?!" It was Daryl.

"Yeah!" She yelled loudly back, putting her ear back up to the door after, waiting for a response. She heard crying and more yelling in the back, then a few grunts from Daryl before he talked again. "Can ya find a way to open it?!"

Ace shook her head, but then realized he can't see her. "No! Sealed automatically, it has to be Jenner!" 

She heard Daryl shout out some curse words angrily, but then some more talking being done to Jenner. Maybe they can convince him? He did let her go... Ace agreed in her head that there was nothing else she could do for them here so she took off in a run, this time going all the way up the stairs to where the actual exit to the building is. She had to do whatever she could to help save these people.

"Ace?!" Daryl's gruff voice yelled to the wall. "Ace?!" He called again when she didn't respond.

"She left! She left us!" Carol cried, clinging on to Sophia.

Everyone grew even more angrier than they already were. Ace left them here to get blown to pieces. That's what Daryl was having a hard time processing in his head. It made him angry that she did, even though he was going to suggest for her to get the hell out. Daryl let out a loud grunt, chucking his bottle of whiskey against the door. "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" He yelled, starting to run back to Jenner. He was the only one that could open it, not the axes that Shane and Daryl started hitting against it. Daryl not stopping. He was angry. He wanted to get out.

But Jenner wouldn't open it. He didn't listen to the cries of the children, or the pleads of the adults, even the constant threats he was getting. "Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate, to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" That was his only words on the thing so far.

People were writhing with fear, becoming frantic with their anger. Especially Shane who started shooting at the monitors, freaking out. Enough for Rick to tackle him down.

Everyone was on edge.

But Rick gave it one more shot. And with 4 minutes 31 seconds left, Jenner opened the doors.

Daryl was in mid swing when the door slid down, shocked. Ace was on the other side of that door, sitting on the ground, arms wrapped around herself. Daryl and her looked at each other for a moment in awe, but then his senses came back in and he grabbed the top of her arm, pulling her up. "C'MON!"

Ace was able to catch one last look from Jenner before she put herself into gear, her and Daryl running as fast as they could, the group following behind. The sound of feet thumping, yells to hurry, and huffs were all that Ace could hear over her beating heart. They flew up the stairs, and right back out to the room Ace was just in. She had tried so desperately to get out, even shot at the glass windows, only to find it was bulletproof. She knew that she couldn't do anything down by that door, so she thought that maybe she could get a head start for the group, find a way out, but she couldn't. Barely a minute ago she thought she was going to die alone right outside that door.

She heard a cry come from her side to see Sophia standing there alone, Carol running up to go over to Rick. Ace quickly moved, letting the little girl cling onto her side and cry while the guys attempted to get past those bastard bullet proof windows. But chairs and axes and guns wouldn't work, making them fail just like Ace had.

But all eyes widened when Carol held out a grenade in her hand to Rick.

"Look out!" Shane yelled and Ace made a swift movement to push Sophia back, throwing her body over the little girls like a shield. Ace made sure Sophia was covering her ears and safely guarded before putting her own head down.

A loud bang rang out, but thankfully the sound of glass shattering did too. Ace was jolted out of her fearful trance when more yells came, and didn't hesitate to help get Sophia up, letting her run to her mom, Ace following behind. The sunlight was blinding, making her aim to shoot the biters that came over difficult.

Soon enough they had made it to the cars, everyone jumping inside. The closest one to Ace was Daryl's truck, so she didn't hesitate to grab the door handle, Daryl bolting behind her. "Get inside! Hurry!" He ran to the drivers side, both of them diving in, slamming the doors shut after.

They looked at each other with heavy breaths and frantic eyes for a moment, still having remaining seconds until the explosion. Ace's head was spinning. Once Dale and Andrea came out of the building and Rick's horn honked, Daryl shoved Ace down. "Duck!" He yelled, both of them diving down. An earth shaking, ear piercing explosion rang out, winds of heat being shot over the vehicles, making instant beads of sweat roll down Ace's skin and her bones chill.

When the world stopped quaking, Daryl and Ace both slowly peeled themselves up, meeting each others eyes before looking to the building that once was the C.D.C.


	10. Hold Your Breath And It Will Pass

Daryl and Ace rode in silence, both still shell shocked from the C.D.C. Ace leaned her head back on the headrest, letting her eyes closed for a while as she tried to regulate her breathing. She wished she was able to do the same for the anxious thoughts that rolled around in her head.

Ace was reeling from Jenner, his words sticking in her mind like glue. How her cancer was going to _destroy_ her. And if she managed that tiny chance to find her sister, it would be another painful goodbye. In one way or another.

Ace felt saddened at the idea of Jenner evaporated in the building. He was kind. Troubled, but kind. And in the end, he had tried to help her get out. But only her. Ace was not able to determine what made him change his mind. There was something he didn't say.

Ace hadn't seen Jacqui come out either.

Ace glanced to Daryl, his right hand draped against the front of the steering wheel, other at his mouth, rubbing at his stubble. Ace couldn't make sense of him either. She thought of their interactions over the past few days, all varying in tone. She thought he would hate her for what happened with Merle, but instead it seemed to bring him closer to her. Like she was the only one that had some kind of understanding about it. Maybe thats why he kept placing himself around her. Cause of Merle.

Once they got a comfortable distance from the city, Shane's voice crackled through the CB, asking everyone to pull over at a stop up ahead to regroup. Since they were so low on fuel, it was decided that Shane and Daryl's trucks would be left and syphoned for gas. Daryl pulled his motorcycle out of the back of Merle's truck while Dale went into the RV to grab hoses and empty canisters.

Not much was said between the group, the pain of the past hour lingering over everyone. Ace hadn't considered leaving again, for it was time for them to head to Fort Benning. And no one seemed to offer any grievances about her riding with them.

Ace went inside the RV with Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, and Shane, Dale driving. Glenn took the passenger seat, pulling out a map for Dale as they drove off, leaving Ace to sit with the others. Andrea and Shane sat across from the table, while Ace hung back with T-Dog against the kitchenette, looking out the window.

"Looks like you're stuck with us for a while longer," T-Dog spoke lightly to Ace as the RV began to lead the caravan to the highway.

Ace huffed and nodded. Seemed that way. Better than walking 125 miles to Fort Benning.

Ace felt eyes on her as T-Dog said that, causing her to look over at Shane. He was watching her, face scrunched up. Ace didn't understand his irritation with her, they haven't yet even spoken to each other. But Ace was also able to see that same look he gave to Rick. This man was troubled by his own things, only seeming capable to take it out on others.

\------

"Oh, shit."

Everyone in the RV perked up as Dale sighed at what lied ahead of them. Shane immediately went over to the front, while Ace and T-Dog looked through the side window as Dale slowed to a halt. Discarded vehicles were covering the highway, a flipped over 13 wheeler blocking half the road. Ace should've expected as much, but they didn't have enough fuel to take side roads.

They sat waiting for a second, until the loud rumble of Daryl's motorcycle got closer, him telling everyone that he saw a way through.

The sight was absolutely horrible as they drove on, cars flipped and rammed into each other, corpses lying all around. Entire families laid dead in their cars. The eeriness had chilled Ace's bones since the first moment they turned here. She didn't like this one bit, hating the sight that was all around her. And then possibly the last noise on earth Ace wanted to hear right now was sharp in her ears. Something short wiring and breaking down the RV, stopping the caravan. Shane swore under his breath as everyone got out of their seats. Dale kicked the RV door open in irritation, heading to the radiator.

"I said it. Didn't I say it?" Dale sighed. "A thousand times. Dead in the water."

"Problem Dale?" Shane asked as they came over to the front, smoke flowing into the air.

"Oh just the small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with the small hope o-.. Okay, that was dumb," Dale went on before stopping himself, seeing that they were surrounded by cars full of parts to fix the RV with. As much as Ace really didn't want to stick around here, digging through dead peoples stuff, she sucked it up anyways. Daryl had already started digging in a nearby trunk.

It was decided, with only little protest from Lori, that they would look around, siphon more fuel, and collect any supplies they needed... Water, food.. As much as Lori was right when she said this was a grave yard, it is also a gold mine. If they could get more fuel, they could turn around and get far from here.

Ace made sure she had her knife in her holster on her hip and gun still in her hand before she went off and the group dispersed. She stayed near the RV mostly, wanting to be able to hear someone say it was all fixed up and they could go when it was time. She took her time digging through a few cars, spirit being uplifted every time she found a suitcase full of canned food or bottles of water. And then she remembered something. The medicine list.

Ace quickly shook off her backpack and shuffled through it until she got to the list Jenner had wrote out for her. Some of the names on here were familiar from her last cancer treatment, but others were new. Going back to the cars she looked for the same stuff, but this time took a little extra moment to look through the pills or random drugs they had inside. She mostly found aspirin, ibuprofen, allergy medication, and some cleansing ointment. She took it all anyways, just in case anyone would need it.

After a few more cars she searched through, grabbing a plastic bag she found inside of one to carry all the things she found, she was just wandering around cautiously. "Miss Ace?" A small voice came from behind her, making her turn around. At first all she spotted was Glenn working on the RV and Shane wandering around somewhere, but then looked down to Sophia.

Ace smiled and crouched down to her level, noticing the dirty old doll she was clinging onto. "I drew this for you," Sophia held out her hand that was holding onto a piece of paper. Ace was surprised that Sophia did this for her, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face when she took the paper and looked down at it. It was a picture of three people all colored in crayon in a circle. "It's you.. me.. and Carl," she pointed to each figure, Carl being colored in blue, Ace green, and Sophia Pink. "We're playin cards," Sophia said shyly.

"Amazing, Sophia," Ace said lightly, looking up from the picture. "Thank you, I love it. Here.." Ace paused to pull out a chocolate bar from the bag, she had found it in the last car she searched. "Our secret."

Sophia took it from her and giggled before turning around and running back to Carl who was sitting in the trunk of a car next to Lori.

Ace was feeling a lot better now, smiling as she folded up the picture and put it into her back pocket to keep. She wasn't exactly sure what to do with her smiling face now, but as she looked around, catching something in the corner of her eye, she grew curious. A big truck was stuck off the road a bit, but on it in big bold letters read; 'Pure Life Spring Water. Home and Office Delivery'

Ace walked over to it, sliding her gun into the waist band of her pants before going to the side of the truck and grabbing onto the side door, shoving it upwards. Ace's jaw dropped at the sight in front of her, bottles and bottles of clean, fresh water. Shane was wandering behind her, but stopped to see what the noise she was making was, his jaw dropping too as he ran over. He ran up beside Ace with a cheery laugh, grabbing onto one of the lids and pulling it off, dumping water all over them both. Glenn took notice too and soon, he was laughing out in joy as well.

"It's like being baptized, man," Shane said to Glenn. She knew that Shane just wasted a tub of it, but it seemed like they have enough to spare now.

Ace barely caught it as Shane gave her a nod, the first time he had addressed her since she arrived with them. Ace took a moment to nod back.

As Shane and Glenn started to unload some of the water, Ace drifting away, still hopeful of a chance she could find some medicine. Someone had to pack something more than advil in one of these cars.

Ace was getting caught up in her thoughts again, finding a small amount of alone time to peacefully do so. She was leaning into the drivers side of the car, digging through the glove compartment when she noticed it went nearly dead quiet again. She paused to glance back at the RV, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

She shook it off until she heard someones footsteps walking up next to her, but before she could turn around, a rough hand was put on her arm and shoulders, shoving her towards the ground. "Under," Daryl's gruff voice growled into her ear seriously enough for her to listen, shuffling under the car, him following suit.

Ace was confused, but she looked up to see many dirty rotten feet near by, shuffling towards them, making her body go rigid. Ace also happened to catch the sigh of T-dog slicing his arm open on a loose part of one of the cars. Daryl must have seen this too because when Ace went to get up from under the car to run over and help him, Daryl held her back. He put his hand out for her to stay, motioning one finger up to his lips for her to be quiet before he rolled out and up, sneaking over.

Ace was breathing hard, getting ready to go follow him and help against his word, but when she peaked her head out from under the car, the biters had all gotten too close. When a frantic huff she curled back under, trying to tense her body to keep it from shaking so much. What the hell happened? Where did they all come from?

Ace tilted her head to see if she could see what was going on with T-Dog, but she couldn't spot him or Daryl anymore. Nervously swallowing, she quietly reached down and pulled out her knife, feeling better with it tight in her grip as she laid there, body stiff as a statue, waiting for the biters to finish their stroll.

Ace started counting to 3 again in her head, each time the shakes slowly stopping and her putting her head back on straight. It seemed like she was counting more than usual lately.

But after a while of laying under the car, watching the feet drag by her head, the biters stopped coming. Ace decided to give them another minute before coming out, anxious to go check on T-Dog.

Until she heard a scream.

Not just any scream, a little girl one that Ace immediately recognized as Sophia's. Ace's head started panicking again, looking out from under the car to see Sophia shuffle down the hill leading into the woods, two biters after her. Ace didn't even allow herself to think before she rolled out from under the car, getting up and running after Sophia, barely noticing Rick do the same.

It was hard to run down the steep slope of twigs and branches and dirt, Rick accidentally falling down, but Ace using more strength in her legs to run down it. She pushed her feet to move as fast as they could. Rick was now only a little bit behind Ace, but she didn't slow down, her breaths just becoming more frantic. She could see the back of the two biters and hear Sophia's whimpers, which was enough motivation for her.

"Distract the walkers, I'll get Sophia!" Rick yelled over to Ace, coming up farther on her right side. She saw that Rick had a clear path to getting Sophia while she was closer to the biters. Ace wouldn't have minded it being the other way around, but she didn't question him. She'd do what it takes to make sure Sophia stays safe.

"Hey!" Ace yelled, going around to the other side of the biters, farther away from Sophia and Rick's direction. "Over here!" Ace got their attention, running backwards as fast as she could, even managing to pick up a rock and throw it at them. Once the biters were fully turned in her direction, moaning loudly at their new food source, Ace cursed under her breath and spun around, nearly falling to the ground before she took off in a run.

She turned back every so often, making sure they were still on her, which of course they were. And she was getting winded after a while, not them. She had no idea how far she had run, but she still was unsure how she was supposed to take on these two biters on her ass. Especially without a gun.

Ace decided she needed to get more distance ahead, so she took the last remaining amount of fuel she had in her body and sprinted, huffing as she pushed past many trees. She checked one more time behind her, barely seeing the biters, so she quickly went to the nearest tree and pressed her back to it. Ace could feel her heart thumping fast in her throat, breaths large and heavy in her chest. Sophia had to be okay, right? What if she wasn't okay? What if these biters are too much?

"...1...2...3.." Ace this time counted aloud, trying to take a few deep breaths as she did. No more worrying. She cant be scared right now. She has to do this for Sophia.

Getting into the zone, Ace got her knife ready that was still in her hand, but also bent down to scoop up a large rock. She propped the heavy stone up in one hand, waiting for the biters to come over, their moans becoming louder with each step they took closer.

Ace peaked back at them and decided they were close enough for whatever stupid plan she had cooked up in seconds. She took the rock and chucked it far to her left side, making the biters hear it and turn their direction over there, their backs now to Ace.

Ace let one more quiet breath out before pushing herself off from the back of the tree. She made her footsteps quiet, almost light as a feather, like she would as a soldier sneaking behind the enemy. And when she got close enough, Sophia was the only thing on Ace's mind as she jumped up behind the first biter, shoving her knife into the back of it's head quickly, then running back to the tree she was just at in a hurry. The other biter's attention had been drawn back to her now.

Ace readjusted her grip on her knife, keeping it out to the side. In the corner of her eye, the biter appeared next to the tree. In one swift movement, Ace couched down far enough that her butt was touching one of her ankles, while the other one was extended out on her leg that was swiping under the biters feet, causing it to fall forwards. It was a very majestic movement, but Ace didn't hesitate to after jump on the walkers back, sending her knife down with a huff into it's skull.

Thinking of Sophia, Ace did it again.

And again.

But then the sound and sight of what she just did became too much and she crawled backwards off of it, her back on the tree again. The blood that had splattered all over her face and neck were itching like they had been drops of acid on her. She hated killing biters, especially like that. She really only had killed a few before up close. Ace was now letting out whimpers and frantic pants of her own, not crying because her breath was too hard to catch for that, but still freaking out. She didn't know what to do with her hands. She had to keep reminding herself she did it for Sophia.

Sophia.

Ace shot back up from the tree, looking at the two biters once more before she pushed off from the ground and took off in a run again. She had to get back to the highway to make sure Sophia was safe. Rick had to have gotten her back, right? No worries.

Ace hadn't realized how much she ran out here to get away from the biters until now, it seeming like forever until she saw the clearing off the woods. She was so relieved when she did, shoving a branch out of her way so she could get to that same hill she ran down. Ace was a little off to the side, but she still made her way over there in record time, panting from the cardio.

She saw that Rick was back, so Sophia should be back here too. Thank God.

Ace nearly climbed up the last part of that hill and over the railing, still huffing like crazy. She walked over to the group that was now all standing by the railing. Ace looked around for Sophia, but couldn't see her. Only Carol sobbing as she looked to see Ace.

"How could you?!" Carol cried out at her, standing up when Ace came over. The group all turned to face a bloodied, shocked Ace.

"...Sophia?" Ace mumbled, still not being able to find her and realizing Carol was just another sign she wasn't here.

"You let my daughter get left out in the woods!" Carol screamed at Ace, going to step forward, but Lori came up and grabbed her, also putting a hand over her mouth to stay quiet. Ace couldn't say anything, completely taken aback.

"Carol, it's not her fault... We-We'll go back out there.. Right now, we'll find her," Rick came over, trying to get her to look at him.

Ace's eyes were widened as she looked at Rick. Where was Sophia? Why was she not with them?

Carol's sobs were making Ace's ears start to ring as her eyes bounced around at the group, mouth parted as she pushed out heavy breaths. Everyone had fear written on their faces. Sophia hadn't come back with Rick. Sophia was lost.

Lost just like Frankie.


	11. Bear The Weight or The Blood

"You sure this is the spot?" Daryl asked, crouching down to look under the bank Rick had said he left Sophia at. Ace was still trying to grasp all of this in her head.

"I told her to stay right here," Rick pointed, the water splashing under his feet as he did. "Ace went after the two walkers from the highway while I went to get Sophia.. More came and I had to take the walkers in that direction, up the creek," Rick was pointing as he talked. This really was not Ace's fault at all, but that's not what she thought. Some how, some way, there was more Ace could have done, and she failed. "She was gone by the time I got back here. I figured she took off and ran back to the group.. I told her; go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder," Rick pointed to where Ace and Shane were standing, Daryl following his fingers.

They were up on top of the creek bed so it was a giant step up for Daryl to get up there, Ace holding her hand out to help. Daryl just looked at it for a moment, but huffed as he took it, allowing her to help him up. Ace was going to do the same thing for Rick, but Shane beat her to it. "Assuming she knows her left from her right.." Shane said down to him.

"Shane, she understood me fine," Rick stated, breathing hard.

Shane was saying something back, but Ace ignored it. Instead, she followed behind Daryl quietly, watching as he searched the ground for tracks. "Got clear prints right here.. She did what you said, headed back to the highway," Daryl stated, turning around to tell them, surprised to see Ace standing behind him. He hadn't heard her footsteps at all. "Let's spread out," Daryl tried to ignore it and made a signal with his hand, starting to lead the small group again.

Ace wasn't as good of a tracker as Daryl, but she had gone hunting with her foster dad a few times. Although against her will, he still taught her some things. She applied them as best as she could while following behind Daryl. He was crouched down, studying the ground like it was the most intricate piece of art that held clues to the mystery they were trying to solve. Ace realized he was real good at tracking, his footsteps light and his skills heavy.

It was discovered that Sophia had been doing just fine, her trails heading right back up to the highway until one spot where she randomly just veered off to the right. Ace didn't know why she'd do that, no other tracks were found, which meant no one spooked her. But Ace did know she was a child, running around scared, so it's hard to expect she knew exactly where or what she was doing.

"It'll be best if you, Ace, and Glenn head back up to the highway before people start panicking," Rick started to Shane, but Ace was not happy with hearing her name. There is no way she's gonna stop searching for Sophia.

"Na," Daryl stood up, cutting Rick off for a moment. "She stays. Got the quietest footsteps."

Ace met eyes with Daryl and gave him a thankful nod which he returned quickly. She appreciated him getting her to stay. Maybe he knew she wasn't gonna walk away without a fight.

"Okay," Rick agreed. "Let them know we're on her trail, but most importantly, keep everybody calm."

Shane and Glenn agreed, saying they would dig up some chores to keep people busy, then they left, heading back in the direction that Sophia should have gone, leaving Rick, Daryl, and Ace there. "You know how to track?" Daryl barely looked much at Ace as he asked her, walking forward again. Normally he didn't like to, but he could double task while tracking and still do a damn good job.

"Sort of," Ace mumbled, following after him with Rick. Ace didn't dare crouch down like Daryl right now, she only would if it's completely necessary because that will be a bitch on her already aching back. "You know what you're lookin' for?" Daryl asked.

"Sort of," Ace repeated.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Rick noticed from behind her, but Ace barely gave him a look back. She was waiting for the comment that came after that, the more rude one that normally always follows, but instead she got something different.

"Ain't so bad, 'least she ain't blabbin her mouth like the rest of 'em," Daryl said, keeping his eyes on the ground he was following.

Rick stayed quiet and a ghost of a smirk came over Ace's face.

They walked on for a little bit more, searching for any signs or dusts up that would give them more of Sophia's path. They were all silent, both Ace and Daryl thankful for that. Rick had tried to ask them how they were seeing anything to follow, but Daryl shushed him up, saying he wasn't giving a lesson.

All was going smoothly until a faint ruffle of branches spooked all three, each immediately crouching way down. Ace bit her tongue when the pain in her lower back started shooting up her spine and silently moved on beside Daryl and Rick. There was a small ridge that they were on top of, allowing them to see the lone biter shuffling along down below. Ace's heart plummeted at the sight, not because she hated them, but because Sophia could have ran into him.

Daryl signaled motions with his hands towards Ace that she was able to pick up and quickly apprehend. Her job is to quietly run in front of the biter, making sure it's attention was on her so Daryl could take it out. She did this after a nod to Daryl, glad she at least wasn't the one who had to kill it.

Ace let out a whistle, causing the biter to turn towards her. The growl it made set Ace's body rigid, but before anything else happened, an arrow came through its eye.

Ace took a moment to squeeze her eyes tight at the sight before running back over to the biter, Rick and Daryl doing the same. They all silently stared down at it before looking up and giving each other a look. They know that there is a chance that this came by Sophia.. But only limited ways to find out if it did or not.

Rick took action first, picking under its finger nails and in between its teeth, finding flesh. The question was, though; what kind of flesh?

Ace's eyes went wide when Rick ripped open the biters shirt, "there's only one way to know for sure.."

He was going to cut it open? Ace knows it had to be done, but still isn't feeling too good about it.

"Here, I'll do it. How many kills have you skinned and gutted in life? Anyway, mines sharper," Daryl said while taking out his knife, his tone letting Ace know this is nothing like one of his animals he's skinned and gutted.

Ace watched as he lifted his knife up and made an incision, nothing gentle or medical about it.

"Here comes the bad part.." Daryl huffed. Ace looked up when he talked, but only completely regretted it when a moment after she saw him shove his hands inside the biters gut. She wouldn't allow herself to see anymore, looking to the side at Daryl's boot when the disgusting sound of ripping flesh open was loud in her ears. She didn't know if her mind or stomach could handle this, tearing into a person, so she crouched down, ignoring her back pains and focusing hard on Daryl's boot. Ace had no idea how Daryl could do this, but she gave him a ton of credit, even if it was disgusting how he just... dug in.

"Yeah, hoss had a big meal not long ago.. I feel it in there," Daryl was now mid arm deep in the things stomach.

Ace kept repeating Sophia's name in her head as the sound of Daryl's grunts and the slime of guts were in her ear. It actually helped a lot. Enough for her to regain the composure she once had in time for Daryl to drop the gut bag out.

Rick took over and started cutting that open, both of them making sounds of disgust as they did. Ace was feeling really unhelpful, which made her feel worse about the Sophia situation, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't have a pair of gloves or the stability to do what they have.

"Gross bastard had himself a woodchuck for lunch," Daryl announced.

With this information they all stood up, Ace walking over to the nearest tree and placing a hand on it, letting her head bow down, focusing on her breathing. "At least we know.." Rick said, trying to keep the positive side of this up.

"Ya alright?" Daryl's voice rang out from behind Ace, causing her to peek an eye open to see him standing behind her. "Throw up if ya gotta'," he said, but Ace just shook her head, standing back up straight. "M'good."

Daryl gave her a nod and then soon enough they were back on their search.

\----

An hour or so later, spirits were low like the sun that had started to set. They had followed Sophia's track for a while, right up until it went cold. There wasn't anything left to go off of, it being a bad idea to just be wandering around the woods in the dark. Ace was tearing herself up. She could barely stand the thought of Sophia being out in the woods, alone during night. She couldn't believe that this was happening. That she let it happen. That this is probably what happened to Frankie.

Carol's whimpers only put Ace down more when they walked back up to the highway, each of them now covered in a fair amount of dirt and grossness. "You... You didn't find her," Carol cried.

Rick came over and started explaining to her that Sophia's trail was gone, but Ace just stayed back by Daryl. He had lost Merle, similar to how Ace had lost Frankie. And now similar to how they had lost Sophia. Ace felt better near Daryl for that.

"How could you.." Carol cried out, harshness in her voice that was directed straight towards Ace, taking all the blame out on her. "How could you just leave her? You lost my baby girl in the woods!" Carol spat at her. "You should have never come with this group!"

"I'm sorry," Ace whispered, barely audible. In fact, only a few people were able to make it out. Daryl was one of them and he watched Ace as she tried to stand her ground. Ace would take it. If Carol needed someone to blame, Ace would take it. 

"She's just a child... She's just a child," Carol cried, looking away. While others came over to comfort the grieving mother, Ace sucked in a breath. She started taking steps back, not being able to be here anymore. She really wanted to crawl out of her own skin, but that's not an option. Daryl watched as Ace started sinking back until she turned and started heading away in the opposite direction.

Ace went far off, passing by many cars until her legs grew much too tired. The sun was almost completely set now, making her gut twist at the thought of Sophia being out there in the dark. Ace stopped, looking down at the blood covering her hands.

The blood of all the biters she's killed. It made Ace think of who else'd blood she had on her hands. Merle? Frankie? Sophia's?

Letting out a pained breath, Ace sunk back against a car, starting to rub at one of her hands. Trying to scrub off all the dried, crusty blood. But it failed, because how is it possible that she could clean her hands to make them pure again? It's like trying to clean with a dirty rag.

Ace looked back down on the ground, letting her head spin. Jenner was right. Frankie probably is dead. Look what had happened with Sophia, who was already a few years older than Frankie. And Ace couldn't even find Sophia, who was just at her side hours ago.

Frankie could be anywhere by now. She had 44 days to travel farther away from Ace. Hell, for all she knows, Frankie could be in one of these cars. And Ace would never had known.

Sophia's the one she's got to find now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo I'm sorry these chapters are kind of boring, just mostly sticking to the script of the show. Its all important development I don't want to miss, but not much fun interaction between Daryl and Ace! Promise things will free up so much more at the farm :)


	12. Hope For The Hopeless

"Got that bench open inside if you're still in need of a place to sleep," Dale said down from up top when she got back over to the RV. He had soft eyes, wanting to comfort her in some way.

"I'll take watch?" Ace asked instead.

Dale nodded and stood up, climbing down the ladder to join her. He handed Ace his rifle, suspecting that it would be best if she had some alone time. Still, he sent her a smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ace was glad Dale got that and put her backpack on her shoulders before climbing up to the top of the RV. There was a lawn chair set up at the edge, so Ace made her way over there, sliding her pack off before she sat.

When she returned to the group, Dale immediately rushed over to ask for her help with T-Dog. In all the madness of Sophia, Ace had forgotten that she had witnessed T-Dog slicing his arm open. She felt horribly, knowing she should have been there right away.

Ace did what she could to tend to his wound, Dale watching over her shoulder the whole time. T-Dog was seething in pain, his forehead starting to grow warm. Ace stitched up his arm, cleaning it with water and antibiotic cream. They were extremely low on medical supplies, leaving Ace unsatisfied for what she could do for him. She gave him a heavy dosage of pain killers to get through the night. In the morning, they would try to find some antibiotics in the cars.

Ace sighed, looking at the sky where a few stars had started to show themselves. She let herself get lost in the sight for a while, her thoughts running around in a million different directions. Left, right, up, down, wherever... at the end of each road was nothing good, just pain and loss and guilt.

Letting out a sigh, she moved to reach down to her backpack, digging through it to find all the pill bottles Jenner gave her.

Ace got all the bottles set on the ground in front of her. She recognized a few of them. They weren't anything strong, but enough to help with the pain. Although, one of them was something she used to take during her treatment. They make you get constantly sick when you try to eat anything, not able to keep it down. They give you killer headaches, bone deep pain, and other stuff that Ace can't deal with right now.

She put that one aside, she can't take those now. Not when she needs to focus on finding Sophia.

After opening each of the other bottles and taking some from each, swallowing dry, Ace angrily stuffed everything back in her bag. How the hell was she supposed to do this? Jenner said to find a hospital. But then what? Sit there for weeks and do chemo? Give herself surgery? How could she ever find her sister if that was the case?

Ace figured she could last a few months longer without anything, but was clueless as to when she would be unable to function. They had caught her cancer early the first time, so she was almost immediately drugged up. She had no clue what it would feel like to let the tumor kill her, or how long it would take.

Rubbing her temples, she put her bag down below her, her head feeling like it might explode.

She's never been a person to give up, she just had to focus on the matter at hand. One day at a time. But Ace feels that after she finds Sophia, it will just be a matter of time before she needs to have a bullet for her last meal.

\---

Ace couldn't be more thankful that she actually slept soundlessly through the night. The drugs she took last night did end up relieving a lot of her pain. After Dale took over for watch, she crashed. Not one nightmare or one agonizing thought about Sophia that would normally keep her up all night. And now that she's rested she can focus.

She checked on T-Dog first thing, bringing him water and gatorade. She cleaned his arm again, changing the bandage, but growing worried at the state of his wound. It was starting to show signs of infection, puss leaking out onto the dirty bandage. Ace did her best to keep a positive attitude for T-Dog, but knew he needed more than she could provide right now.

Ace found Dale as she left the RV, immediately going over to him while the group started to gather together to discuss the plans for the day. Ace spoke to Dale, telling him T-Dog needed antibiotics as soon as possible. Dale said he would spend the day searching the cars for them, for Ace was aching to join the rest on the search for Sophia. She was hesitant to leave T-Dog, but knew all he could do now was rest. She had to look for Sophia, so she made sure Dale was set up with everything he would need before she joined the rest of the group.

"Everybody takes a weapon," Rick said, everyone looking down at the line of melee weapons laid out on the hood of Carol's Cherokee.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need," Andrea started. "What about the guns?" This isn't the first time Ace has heard Andrea talk away about the guns. Sometimes, Ace thinks that this group is all talk and no game. She often wished for silence.

"We've been over this. Daryl, Rick, Ace, and I are carrying," Shane said calmly, but sternly to Andrea. Ace was surprised when they told her that she could carry earlier, expecting some big thing to come out of her having a gun, but luckily nothing did.

"So you're going to let _her_ carry a gun? She just got here," Andrea snarked.

"She's got trainin', you don't," Daryl cut in, saying his first words of the morning. Ace caught his eye, wondering how he knew she had training, but decided to worry about it later. Shane backed Ace up as well, going on to Andrea about how bad it be if people were just poppin' off rounds, bring a horde down on them.

"Ace, you seem to have some skills in the tracking department, as well," Rick stated, catching Ace's attention, causing her to look up at him in surprise. She wouldn't say she was skilled at it. "I think it be best if you and Daryl oversee this search, you two being the only ones knowing much about what were doing here."

Ace didn't respond, just looked around at the group. Andrea scoffed and Carol was just shaking her head, still blaming Ace, but she ignored them. She looked to Daryl and he gave her a nod, silently letting her know some how that he's fine with it. "The idea is to take the creek up about five miles. Chances are she'll be by the creek, it's her only landmark," Daryl said once everyone settled down, claiming the small authority he had over this search.

After Daryl spoke and people silently agreed, the group dispersed. Ace put her gun in the holster attached to her belt, her knife going in its sheath as well before she pulled her backpack off. She had organized it once this morning already, but she still wanted to make sure right now she had everything she needed, ready and accessible. She even dug up the pictures she had lying around on the bottom, putting them in a safer part of her backpack, along with the drawing that Sophia had made for her.

Daryl came up beside Ace, holding his canteen of water, plus another for her. She knew what he was silently asking and took them, putting them inside her bag before she zipped it back up and threw it onto her shoulders, looking up at Daryl. The blue sleeveless shirt he was wearing bringing out his eyes and the tan color of his skin. "Ya ready?" Daryl asked, Ace nodding again, Daryl ghostly mimicking it before they turned, her following next to him as the rest of the group came, too.

After collecting Andrea from her outburst at Dale, the group stepped over the side road railing and descended into the forest. Both Daryl and Ace could already hear the heavy, loud footsteps of the rest of the group. It was nothing unexpected, they were all out here lookin so that was good enough for Ace. At least they're not hunting.

Miles went by under their feet as they silently walking on, the only chatter coming from Carl and his mom or when directions were spawned across the group. They had so far been unlucky, but Ace was determined not to let that get to her. Sophia was out here, probably just tuckered under a bush or something. Had to be.

It wasn't until a small tent was spotted up ahead that the group crouched down, Ace's back finally giving her a break now that she took those pills.

"She could be in there..." Shane grumbled, looking at the tent.

"There could be a whole bunch of things in there," Daryl said before him, Ace, Rick, and Shane moved forward. It turned out that inside was just a guy who had done what Jenner said; 'opted out'. Ace didn't get a look at him, but could smell it so clearly in her nose that it was almost painful.

The small hope that had grown in everyones stomachs was put out right up until the sound of bells ringing were echoed around the forest. Someone had to be ringing them, possibly Sophia.. or someone who found her?

Everyone took off, trying to nail down where exactly it was coming from. Rick had the best estimate, so they started running towards that direction. Ending up in an open field leading to what looked to be a small church. Not caring if it didn't have a steeple, they still went up to it. There were two big red doors that led to the entrance, Daryl and Ace being the first ones to get up there, they stood on each side of it. Ace had knife tight in her hand as her other one slowly pushed the door open, allowing Daryl and his crossbow to be the first to scout inside.

Three biters were sitting, almost as if they were praying, but got up when they heard the squeaky door open. Rick and Shane were the first ones to shove through, Daryl looking over to Ace once they passed. Making a quick decision, Daryl handed Ace his crossbow, her getting the message and trading him her knife. He looked at it as he ran inside, taking in how nice it was before going up to a biter and slashing it across her face, quickly moving out of the way so it didn't fall on him.

Calling out Sophia's name, the group dispersed to look around, Ace waiting for Daryl, them trading the weapons back right before the bells started going off again. They all ran outside, Glenn being the first to find the electronic box that was giving out the noise. "Timer.. It's on a timer.." Daryl breathed, shaking his head.

Ace's head bowed down in grief, her knife swinging in her tightly gripped hand. Another spot that failed to have the outcome they wanted. Swallowing hard, Ace regained her strong posture, deciding that she would check out the perimeter of this place while the rest took a break to regroup. It wasn't a large building, so Ace walked around it once pretty fast, taking in the details of the building while still making sure everything was safe. When she turned the side of the building, she slowed to a stop, spotting Lori and Shane to the side.

"Leavin.." Lori's voice caught Ace's attention enough to get her to eavesdrop. "I think it is best for all of us."

Leaving? Ace stood back silently, listening, curious to what plan Shane had cooked up. Ace didn't care much about the tension between Shane and Lori, Ace had assumed what it was already. When the conversation between the two stopped, Shane huffed and spun around enough to catch Ace in the corner of his eye. He ran a hand fast over his head, holding his gun down in one hand as he stomped over to her. "You hear that?"

Ace stayed silent, squinting her eyes at Shane as he stood tall over her. Shane grunted when she didn't respond. "No need for anyone else to know, you got it?"

His aggression towards Ace was off-putting, and she wasn't appreciating how threateningly he came onto her. Again, she didn't respond, having nothing to say to him. For some reason he needed this to be a secret, so he became irritated when she wouldn't agree.

"Look," Shane licked his lips, looking around. "When the times right, I'll slip out. But no one needs to be hearing about it now."

Ace didn't know why Shane thought she cared enough to run around telling people things, but her interested was peaked. "What about Fort Benning?" She asked. It was his idea to get everyone there, after all.

"Man, you think they're actually gonna make it there?" Shane huffed.

His words made Ace think. She hadn't seen a reason why they wouldn't, but then realized they had barely made it on the road an hour before something went wrong. Traveling with a group brought strength, but it also brought complications.

"I'm just puttin' the group at odds. Rick and Lori at odds. Its best for everyone if I go. Got that?" Shane explained, searching Ace's face. The look of curiosity she had made him raise an eyebrow. "You interested?"

Ace met the man's eyes, pausing. She was considering her options after they found Sophia. Stay with the group, _maybe_ make it to Fort Benning. Go off on her own. Or, go with Shane. Although none of the options were great, she knew it wasn't smart to go 125 miles on foot by herself. Leaving her with weighing the other two options. She didn't know Shane, and didn't particularly like him either. But she was at a loss to all the things that could go wrong if she stuck with the group. But, if she fell ill, the group had more supplies. And an RV to stay in.

Ace opened her mouth, trying to think of what to say. Although, she didn't have to, for Daryl was rounding the corner of the building, coming over to them. Shane glanced at him, ending the conversation and walking away.

Daryl looked at Shane as he walked past him before turning back to Ace. He held his hand out to her as he came over. Ace looked at him for a moment, but then understood his signal, taking her backpack off quickly to grab the waters inside. They both started walking back over to the group as she handed a canteen to him, grabbing the other for herself.

The gathered around Rick and Shane with everyone else.

"Y'all are gonna follow the creek bed back. Me and Rick are just gonna hang here, search this area another hour or so. Just to be thorough," Shane announced.

"I'll stay, too," Ace spoke up. She wanted to keep looking.

"No, you stay here. Help Daryl lead the group back," Rick stepped forward, holding his hand out when he talked.

"But, I-"

"Oh for God's sake, just give it a rest," Carol cut in out of nowhere, calling out Ace with her words. Ace was stunned, looking towards the woman.

"Carol," Rick tried to soothe her, but she wouldn't have it.

"She left my daughter in the woods!" Carol defended. Ace winced. "I don't trust her out here."

The tears in Carol's eyes had Ace closing her mouth, not trying to fight it anymore. For whatever reason, whether it was because Ace was new here or because she showed up out of the woods after Rick yesterday, Carol put it all on her. And Ace would take it, she had to. 

Rick looked to Ace, almost apologetically. Ace just sent him a nod, letting him know it was fine, moving away from the group. It was decided that Carl was allowed to go with Rick and Shane, then the group started pushing back into the woods. This time, Ace was the one that stuck near Daryl. It seemed everyone else had it out for her at the moment. For some reason, Daryl was the only company she trusted enough to keep.

They stayed quiet most of the 5 miles back up the creek, except for the occasional chatter from random group members. Ace payed no attention to that, though, staying completely dead silent, lost in her head. Once they knocked down at least two or three miles of the group trailing behind Ace and Daryl, they took a break.

"So this is it? This is the whole plan?" Carol asked, sitting down on the tree, getting the group to stop.

"Best plan of any," Daryl grumbled, leaning against one of the trees.

Andrea started going off about guns again, but Ace wasn't in the right frame of mind to care, wandering a little bit further, keeping watch around the forest as they continued, Lori now adding to the meltdown. Ace ignored it as best as she could, bigger problems had been served to her the past few days.

Actually, a lot of bigger problems were gathering on her plate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Running pretty quick through these chapters, just want to get to the farm!!! Let me know what you think!


	13. The Ghosts We Chase

"That was a gun shot."

Every other moment Lori would stop, hesitate, turn around, and let her edging thoughts be shared. "We all heard it," Daryl put out. Ace knew exactly why Lori was worrying, her son, husband, and boy toy are all out there at once. But the thing is, why would they shoot if only one shot was needed?

"Why one? Why just one gun shot?" Lori asked what was on every ones mind.

"Maybe they took down a walker?" Daryl shrugged. He could be right, maybe they got in a sticky situation.

"Please don't patronize me," Lori snapped. "Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Or Shane. They'd do it quietly."

No one really knew what else to say to get Lori to stop worrying. What she said was true, but there isn't anything they can do about it. They're miles away from them and will just waste daylight trying to search for them. "Nothin' we can do about it anyway, can't be runnin' around chasin' echoes," Daryl was the one to speak. "We do the same as we been; hit the bush for Sophia, work our way back to highway."

There was silent agreement from everybody and everyone shifted to start walking again. The trek back was a lot worse than the walk there. One, because it seemed to be up hill. Two, everyone was twice as tired. And three, hopes were diminishing. But Ace never once let her posture or train of thought falter. The right frame of mind was all she needed, even if lots of the time she didn't have that.

"How much farther?" Lori asked in an exhaled breath. She was behind Daryl and Ace who were walking nearly side by side up front. Ace kept near him and Daryl didn't seem to mind. Maybe both of them were more comfortable from the rest of the group.

"Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies," Daryl responded, still having his crossbow in his ready position. Even he was a little heavy breathed, the sweat glimmering on his skin seconding the theory of him being hot and tired like the rest of the group. But the thing with Daryl is, he doesn't complain. He doesn't show it like the rest of the panting and whining members of the group. Besides Ace, who was just as sturdy as him.

"Too bad we're not crows," Andrea huffed, starting to mindlessly wander to the side a bit.

Everyone silently agreed with what she said while continuing to push forward. Ace was able to hear Andrea mumble something again, sounding far off in the distance, but soon the air was filled with Andrea's piercing screams that made everyone frantically spin around. The only ones to do something besides stand there and yell, were Ace and Daryl. Neither even hesitated. They noticed that about each other. They also noticed how far Andrea had drifted from the group as they ran, not being able to get there quick enough.

Because instead they were beat why a blur of a horse that passed fast by them, someone whacking off the biter's head that was on top of Andrea. Daryl and Ace skidded to a stop, looking to each other with confusion before looking down to the woman on a horse. _What the hell?_

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" The woman with short brown hair on the horse asked, turning to face the rest of the group that had now ran over. "Rick sent me, you've got to come now."

"What?" Lori asked the question on every ones mind.

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot," the girl said, causing horror to spread across everyone's face. "He's still alive, but you've got to come now. Rick needs you."

It all happened so fast: Lori not hesitating to go over and climb up on the horse, Daryl arguing to stay because they didn't know the girl, and then the girl telling them she had a farm, right before the horse ran off, carrying her and Lori away.

Everyone stood there shocked, especially Ace who felt her heart frantically thumping in her chest.

First Sophia, now this?

\----

Daryl was angry.

Angry that he couldn't find the little girl, angry that his group was slowly diminishing one by one, and angry that he couldn't even stop the last one from leaving, out of his control. This group was just slowly falling... Slowly breaking.

Daryl stomped his way over the railing on the highway and passed straight by Dale who was questioning him for why he just let Lori go. "Climbed right out of my asshole, man," was all Daryl mumbled, angry that Dale was trying to blame him.

"Rick sent them," Glenn added as the rest of the group climbed back onto the highway. "Knew Lori's name. Carl's, too."

"And they have a farm? Nearby?" Dale pressed, shock still in his features from the news.

"Down the road," Glenn nodded.

Ace paused to drink some water, wiping sweat off her forehead as they spoke.

"We can't just leave," Carol pleaded.

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak," Dale leaned against the RV.

"What if she comes back and we're not here? It could happen."

"Okay," Daryl nodded, thinking it over. "We gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. I'll hol' here tonight, stay with the RV."

Ace, one for making plans, already had the gears in her head turning with him. "Could leave a sign," Ace spoke up from the back.

"Yeah," Daryl agreed. "Leave some supplies, too." Daryl and Ace shared a moment of mutual understanding, nodding, while Dale and Andrea agreed to stay, too. Carol thanked everyone but Ace. Glenn tried to offer to stay as well, but Dale stopped him. "No, not you, Glenn. You're going. Take Carol's Cherokee."

"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn exclaimed.

"We have to find this farm, reconnect with our people, and find out whats going on," Dale held out a hand to him. "But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option." At the mention of T-Dog, Ace's head snapped over. He was sitting on the back of the RV, hunched over with a blanket covering his shoulders. "That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection."

"Why didn't you say somethin' sooner?" Daryl asked, going back to rummage through the pack on his bike. He pulled out a bag of drugs. "Got my brother's stash. Oxycycline," he tossed a pill bottle to Dale. "Not the generic stuff, neither. Merle got the clap on occasion."

Ace spent a moment taken aback about Daryl's overwhelming knowledge of all the drugs and Merle getting the clap, which didn't surprise her. Dale smiled, relieved now. Ace walked over with Dale to T-Dog as Glenn started to pack up the car. Dale poured out a dosage into his palm and brought it to T-Dog, Ace passing him her water as well. "Seems like Merle Dixon helped us out after all," Dale joked as T-Dog washed down the pills.

T-Dog scoffed. "Thought maybe this was karma for leaving him on that roof."

Ace glanced between the two as they spoke about Merle, curious of the groups relationship with him. She knew it couldn't have been great, but had never gotten further information. Was T-Dog the one that left him? Dale had noticed Ace's curious look, remembering she was clueless to what they were speaking on. To them, they had no idea Ace had found Merle in the city. Dale leaned over, speaking quietly to her now. "Daryl's brother. He was a real piece of work," Dale explained.

"A racist piece of work," T-Dog added, taking another sip of water. Ace stayed quiet, already well aware of that information. "Didn't mean to leave him behind, though," T-Dog huffed. "Dropped the damn key."

Ace's brows furrowed now, gaining more information to the story. She had been so skeptical of these people for leaving Merle for dead, just like that. Sure, they still tied him up, but it seemed like it wasn't to hurt him.

A moment of silence passed before Dale changed the subject. "Those will help with the fever. You still should get to the farm though, they may have better supplies."

T-Dog nodded, pushing himself up off the RV. Dale helped him over to the Cherokee Glenn had packed their bags into. Ace stood behind, pondering for a second if she should go with them. Maybe there was assistance she could provide to care for Carl, too. But after looking at T-Dog, she knew it was passed the point she could help, causing a frown to take over her face.

When Glenn drove off, leaving the highway, the rest of them started gathering supplies to put out for Sophia. Once finished, Ace searched through a few more cars before helping Dale load somethings into the RV.

As the sun was beginning to set, Ace stood outside, looking across the highway. Andrea and Carol were inside the RV, deterring Ace from going in there for the evening. Instead, she looked through a few cars, spotting Daryl down the road. Daryl huffed as he sat down on the driver's seat of a random car sideways, legs hanging out the side of the open door. He pulled his rag out of his back pocket and set his crossbow down in front of him, pulling out the arrows one by one that were in his quiver, starting to clean them.

His shoulders tensed as he heard heavy footsteps that sounded like someone was stomping their way up to him. "Leave me be," he growled, not looking up from his arrows. He didn't hear anymore loud footsteps or even heavy breathing, which made him curious enough to turn around, seeing Ace standing there. She had made her footsteps so heavy to not startle him. Daryl eyed her for a minute, but didn't make any further comments for her to go away, just turned back around, which gave Ace the signal to come closer.

She now stood in front of him, holding a bottle of water out. Daryl stopped what he was doing and looked at it, unsure why she was offering, but eventually sat up, set his rag down, and took it from her. Ace stayed quiet as he took a drink, but Daryl noticed the map folded up in her hand. 

Remembering what she was going to do, Ace crouched down, her back a little tense, but still feeling better from the pills she had taken. She was now at Daryl's level, maybe a bit lower, as she unfolded the map and set it on the ground so he could see it flat.

Daryl noticed the little markings and X's all over it, even some things were circled down in the city. He wondered if they were from. "This is the creek here," Ace broke the silence, voice barely at a normal volume, pointing at a circled spot on her map. "And this is where we've been searching," she ran her finger up and down the area around the creek. "But we never even thought of checkin' over here," Ace's finger was now moving in another direction, opposite of where they were looking. "If Sophia listened to Rick and did head back up to the highway, she could have gone up here."

This had Daryl sitting up, watching her intently as she pointed over the map. "She could have followed the highway down," Daryl basically said what she did, but nodded in agreement.

Ace returned his nod, now feeling a little shy in the silence. "Maybe this farm..." Ace spoke, trailing off as she looked at the map. Daryl noticed she had it circled on there.

"Ya think it'll be somethin' good?" Daryl asked, surprising to Ace that he wanted her opinion.

Ace had asked herself this a lot, really hoping the drama to pause so they could get a better grip on searching for Sophia. And for Carl. "If they're helpin Carl... I think it is a chance."

Daryl nodded slowly while looking at Ace out of the corner of his eye. She looked remorseful and solemn at the mention of another of the children getting hurt. First she lost Frankie, now Sophia and Carl. Maybe it was a sign that kids just aren't supposed to be in this world. Either way, Ace had to do what she could.

"Gonna stay?" Daryl asked again, but this time looked back to his arrows, avoiding eye contact.

This Ace didn't really have an answer for. So much was happening right now that she couldn't make a good plan for her next move. She wanted to search for Frankie, but now had to find Sophia first. And Carl was hurt, how badly Ace didn't know. Which means he might be laid up for a while, keeping them from their trip to Fort Benning.

"Dunno," Ace mumbled, thinking to what Shane said. He might have been right saying that the group would never make it to Fort Benning. Ace could leave with him, if she wanted. Although, she didn't know him well. Maybe he wouldn't be willing to stop and search around for her sister. And then there was what Jenner said. Find a hospital, find somewhere to settle. Maybe she could get enough treatment to build strength up. Ace just didn't know what to prioritize right now, everything seemed hopeless.

Daryl squinted at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Even though he told himself he didn't care who she was, he couldn't help but be suspicious. Maybe it was just cause if Merle trusted her enough to leave with her, he should too. Or maybe he should do the opposite. Daryl didn't know. But Daryl wasn't stupid, he noticed things. He just didn't know if anything he assumed was right.

"Think she'll be at Fort Benning?"

Ace now looked up, meeting Daryl's eyes as he brought up her sister. "Maybe," was all Ace could offer. After everything that had happened with the two children in this group after being on the road for only a few hours, Ace was losing more and more hope with each second that Frankie could be safe after 44 days. And after seeing the downfall of the C.D.C., Ace lost hope that Fort Benning wasn't overrun or destroyed. "Are you gonna look for Merle?"

Ace needed some clarity on what she should do, and it seemed Daryl had a similar situation with his missing brother. And since he brought up her sister, it was only fair she brought up his brother.

Daryl went back to cleaning his arrows, and for a minute Ace thought he was going to ignore her completely. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up, barely having made it out alive of the first conversation about Daryl's brother.

"Nah," Daryl finally spoke, not looking at her. "If he didn't come back, its cause he didn't want to. Or he's dead." Daryl said it very bluntly, but it made Ace frown that maybe Daryl thought his brother left without him. "Wha' about yer sister? Why ain't she here?"

They looked at each other again, Ace pausing for a moment as his bright blue eyes questioned her. She wasn't sure what made them converse with each other, normally on this topic Ace shut down. But it seemed Daryl was bringing her some type of comfort, almost like she needed to talk it out. Which what not something she _ever_ did. She didn't like to speak to most people. Maybe the world had truly ended. "We got separated," Ace admitted, remembering back to when Frankie got taken away from her, cringing slightly. "She was in the city when it all went down."

Daryl nodded, biting at the inside of his cheek. "How ya know she ain't dead?"

His question was rough, coming on as almost aggressive to Ace. It made her face fall as she watched him, never afraid to speak his mind or piss someone off. Ace respected that about him, for the rest of the group was just passive aggressive, but she still had to try to not to let his comment get to her. "I don't."

Silence fell over them again and the ending of the conversation had rubbed Ace the wrong way, causing her to pack up her map and stand. Because Daryl was right, she has no clue if Frankie was alive. She could be chasing a ghost.

Daryl watched her back as Ace walked off.


	14. When You Can't Sleep At Night

Night came just as fast as Ace's back pain did.

She sat on the RV's kitchen table bench, or what had become her bed, trying not to make any movements that might spark pain. Andrea sat across from her, messing around with her gun that was given back to her. Ace knew of the reasons she was kept from it, but didn't get into it. It wasn't her business. And frankly, she didn't care very much.

On the floor of the RV laid Daryl, using a bunched up jacket as some sort of pillow. Carol was in the back of the RV, laying in the bed and sobbing softly to herself. Ace wasn't Carol's biggest fan, but each whimper was like a kick in the gut, reminding her that Sophia is out there. That she could have done something more to save her, and her mother from this guilt.

Ace was trying to be discrete about shifting her position constantly, not wanting to bother everyone or have someone ask her what was wrong. She tried to make it seem like she was just getting comfortable on the small bench, even if that was far from it. She felt like someone had hold of the muscles in her back and were squeezing them all together in a tight fist. Soreness was prominent in every move she made because of it and she was unsure of what to do at this point. She took her meds and a small dose of pain killers before she joined everyone in here, but they weren't kicking in yet.

Her attention was pulled slightly away from her back when she heard Daryl sitting up. He was getting impatient with the crying of Carol, it bothering him for many reasons, and the noises Andrea and Ace were making. He couldn't sleep, wouldn't get a good nights rest with that little girl out there.

Ace watched as Daryl pushed himself up from the ground, it being so dark that there was no way he could tell she was awake and looking at him, besides the fact that he just _knew_ she wouldn't be asleep. He had trouble understanding Ace, but he could read this part of her and knew that if he wasn't sleeping because of Sophia, then she wasn't. Which is very true, but he was unaware of the pain she was in also.

"I'm gonna walk the road," Daryl said in a gruff voice, reaching down to grab his jacket. "For the girl."

Carol's cries faded softly when she heard his words, looking at Daryl turn to head out of the RV. Ace was already halfway ready and up to follow after him, not ever missing out on a chance to look for Sophia. She needed to get up a move, anyway. Staying still and sitting with that back pain was killing her. Well, cancer was killing her. Not finding Sophia was killing her. Not having her little sister here was killing her. But still...

Ace made sure she had her knife and gun on her hips before she followed Daryl. He knew she was following him to come, but didn't say anything, just allowed it and led her out of the RV. He flashed the flash light in his hand around outside, looking up to Dale. "Gonna go shine some light on the road. If she's out there it'll give her some light."

"I'm coming, too," Andrea's sudden voice came out of the RV, getting both Daryl and Ace to look back at her.

"Are you sure that's a good idea right now?" Dale questioned from atop the RV, halting his lookout.

"Dale." Andrea snapped, stopping him with that before walking in front of Daryl and Ace. Ace felt she was right when she said, or thought, Andrea was very dramatic, but there wasn't much she could do about it but ignore it. Ace really didn't care.

Daryl and Ace turned, looking at each other before following the direction Andrea took. Andrea was walking much faster, not scoping the area around her, just carelessly going for a stroll. Daryl and Ace were hung back, Ace having a hand on top of her sheathed knife and constantly checking their surroundings while Daryl searched around with the flashlight, waving it.

Ace's back wasn't as cramped up and achy as it was before, now that she was moving and stretching it out, but it still had pain running up and down her spine. She just bit her tongue and tried to ignore it whenever it sparked up, focusing on looking for Sophia. She thought about how nice it would be if Daryl could just shine the light and Sophia could see it and coming running towards them.

"What's wrong wit'cha?" Daryl's quick, gruff question caught her out of her thoughts and she turned to him. He wasn't looking at her, just off into the forest as he looked around with the flashlight. Ace's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at him, even though he wasn't lookin' to see. Ace had still been reeling from their conversation earlier. Why he kept talking to her, she didn't know. She figured it had been because of what happened with Merle, but now it just kept happening.

"Yer walkin' funny," Daryl glanced at Ace, nodding in the direction of her legs. He was talking quietly, not loud enough for even Andrea to hear in front of them.

Ace hadn't realized she was limping enough that it was noticeable, she was just trying to ease some of the pressure in her back. She immediately tried to hide the limp, but found it was much more painful to do so. Still, she tried. "M'fine." She looked away from Daryl to her side.

"Now that I said somethin' ya are," Daryl pointed out, grumbling a bit. His attitude was lost on Ace.

"You're seein' things," Ace mumbled quietly, trying to hide her face because she was a terrible liar. It's not like Daryl would be able to see though, it's too dark.

"I know when I'm seein' things and when I ain't seein' things. You're limpin'," Daryl mused, pointing at her legs again with irritation.

This time Ace didn't respond and looked into the forest, feeling it be better if she didn't because hopefully Daryl would just drop it. She didn't feel like answering anymore of his aggressive questions today. They both had bigger things to worry about. And either way, she didn't want the group knowing about what's wrong with her. She needed to make a plan first, not drama.

"You _bit_?" Daryl now asked, getting Ace to snap her head over to him. He was looking right at her now, his gaze hard. She shook her head no, keeping his eye contact so hopefully he could see her truthfulness. She's not that stupid. If she were bit, she'd do something about it. She didn't want to be a danger to this group. She wonders if they think of her as one? Has she given them a reason to trust her? More importantly; has she given them a reason to not?

Daryl studied her face for a bit, thinking about her answer before giving a slight nod and turning his head away from her. Ace did the same and looked back into the trees around her, taking a moment to make sure Andrea wasn't too far ahead.

"What is it then?" Daryl pressed on, grumpy and determined for an answer. He wanted to grab this girl by the shoulders and shake words out of her, get some answers. The rest of the group was so damn talkative that he couldn't get them to shut their damn mouths half the time, but with her he can't get her to open it. He doen't mind her quiet, he prefers it, but she's like some damn mystery novel.

Daryl's point about Ace was proven when she continued to stay silent again. Daryl didn't like that she was ignoring him, just continuing to search the forest with her eyes. It was a simple question, Daryl thought. She's just gotta' tell him what's wrong with her.

Daryl scoffed and grumbled something under his breath. Ace highly doubted it was anything nice, but Andrea turning to walk back over to them had it shrugging off her shoulders.

Andrea stood in front of them, with her hip slightly popping out and her arms crossed loosely. Both Daryl and Ace stopped when she did. "How far down do you think we should walk?" She asked, looking more to Daryl than Ace for an answer.

"However far down we think Sophia walked," Daryl said, starting to walk again.

Andrea sighed and turned, now slowing down to walk with them. Ace took glances at her out of the corner of her eye as Andrea gave a lot of attention to Daryl, seeking for his, too. Andrea ended up walking between Daryl and Ace, Ace stepping a little to the side to not be so close and give room. She didn't mean to move away as far off she did, but felt it suited her better, being so far away from the two that were conversing. Or more so Andrea talking and Daryl barely listening.

"Do you really think we'll find Sophia?" Andrea asked and Ace's face immediately fell further into a frown. There was a bit of a scowl on it to, not liking that question. She let herself fall a little bit further back from Andrea again.

Daryl scoffed lightly, shining the light at Andrea's face while he did. "Ya got that look on your face, same as everybody else. T'hells wrong with you people?"

Daryl wasn't happy with her question either, thinking that everyone was already starting to give up. Everyone but Ace. She was the only other one without that look on her face. Why is that the girl who's been in the group for the shortest amount of time is the one who's done the most? Cared the most?

Ace had been seeing that same expression on peoples faces that Daryl mentioned. They all had no motivation, no hope for this. They just doubted and started to give up. Why? Ace wondered. Why would they give up on Sophia? They were so broken.

"We just started lookin'," Daryl stated, his voice far from happy.

" _Do you?_ " Andrea repeated. **  
**

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's _Georgia_ ," Daryl was arguing. "She could be hold up in a farm house somewhere. People get lost, survive.. It happens all the time," Daryl was unamused with the fact that he actually had to explain this. He thought these people had a little more faith in the little girl and their search than that. Something about what he said felt directed towards Ace, making her look back over to him. They met eyes for a second. Was this his way of apologizing for assuming her sister was dead earlier?

"She's only _twelve_ ," Andrea stated.

Ace didn't know what Andrea was getting at. Was she trying to convince them to stop looking, that Sophia is gone? And Ace isn't appreciative of what she's saying. It made her heart sink. Her sister was only six.

"Hell, I was younger than that an' I got lost. Nine days, eatin' berries, wipin' my ass with poison oak," Daryl said, still shining light around the forest. Ace listened now, trying to use his story as encouragement that Frankie was okay. Ace looked up at him, but ended up looking mostly at the back of his head because of how much she had allowed herself to drift behind them. She had no part in their conversation and wasn't going to talk anyway, so she stayed back and listened, analyzing what they were saying and what Daryl said got more of a response out of her.

Ace wanted to hear the story, but she took a moment to revel in how _they_ must have had similar childhoods. And by saying that, she means they both had pretty shitty ones.

"They found you?" Andrea asked, trying to see if that was the point of why he mentioned it.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doin' another stent in Juive... Didn't even know I was gone," Daryl told. At the mention of Merle a frown creased into Ace's face and she looked away from Daryl's back, slightly saddened for him. "Made my way back though," Daryl continued after a small moment of silence. "Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. Wasn't worse for wear, 'cept my ass itched somethin' awful."

Andrea snorted a laugh before just letting it out, not holding it back. "I'm sorry," Andrea laughed. "That's a terrible story." She let out another soft laugh and Daryl snorted one, too, taking a second to momentarily glance at Ace. For a quick moment, his heart dropped, thinking she wasn't with them anymore, but then he looked back even further and saw her trailing behind slowly. Ace glanced up at him and saw the slight amusement on his face from laughing with Andrea as they held eye contact. After a moment, he simply nodded, something he does a lot to show what his words don't, and turned back.

"The only difference is Sophia's got people lookin' for her. Call that an advantage," Daryl proved a good point to which Andrea didn't have a response to, letting silence fall over them all.

Walking on, Ace kept to herself, in her own world. She now held on to her knife, the silent night making her feel uneasy as she searched through trees. Her back was feeling much better, and she didn't have to try and hide the limp anymore because it was slowly fading. The pain killers were kicking in, but so where the other pills she took. She was feeling very drowsy, blinking to stay alert. It was a side effect, but one she could manage, especially when a slight rustling came from further in the forest and spiked her heart rate.

Immediately into a ready stance, she, Andrea, and Daryl shared a look before following after the noise. Daryl rushing next to her with his crossbow up, Andrea weaponless behind them.

They went deeper into the forest, shinning light and ready for whatever it could be. Ace hoped so desperately that it wasn't a walker, really, _really_ wanting it to be Sophia. They all did.

They followed the rustling noise, soon the flashlight illuminated an old lawn chair, a small tent, and multiple pots and pans resting on a make shift table. There was garbage and logs of wood lying around everywhere. At first, Ace thought that maybe, just maybe, Sophia had been staying here. There was a glimmer of hope. But that was crushed when leaves rustled from the tree above them and deadly moaning could be heard. Ace's heart fell a bit as they came around the tree that was making all the noise. They slowly stood up, lowering weapons because what they saw wasn't going to attack them. It was hanging from the tree.

"What the hell.." Daryl mused as he went closer to it.

With all the flesh gone from it's bloody legs, a walker swung from a rope around it's neck. The bones in his legs could be seen completely from knee down, bloody and void of any skin or muscle. Ace's stomach twisted and she looked away from what she saw, disgusted and saddened by it. She had to take a moment to breathe properly, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand that was gripping onto her knife. Daryl was unfazed by it, going closer and shinning his light at it, noticing the note on the tree.

" _Got bit, fever hit. Worlds gone to shit, might as well quit_..." Daryl read it aloud. It was clear what had happened now and Ace ran her hand down her face before stepping forward next to Daryl to look at it.

"Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned into a big swingin' piece of bait."

Daryl wasn't very sympathetic to the man that hung himself, and was very blunt. It made Ace's head spin a bit looking up at the hanging walker, so she turned away from it, walking slowly back while her mind worked a mile a minute and her stomach was clenched.

Andrea, on the other hand, was hunched over, groaning as she coughed. "Ya alright?" Daryl asked, slightly amused.

"Just trying not puke," she breathed out. "Lets just..." Andrea sucked in a breath. "Talk about something else. How'd you learn to shoot?"

Ace looked at Daryl from where she was, like she was hidden in the shadows. She wanted to hear his answer, she noticed that he never really talks to the group, let alone about himself. This was the most words she's heard him say at once. "Gotta eat. That's one thing these walkers and us have in common," he stated blandly, still watching the walker swing from the tree. "This is the closest he's been to food since he's turned," Daryl stated, the walker growling and trying to reach out for them, only making the rope swing more. "Look at 'em, hangin' like a big pinata."

Ace looked away from Daryl to down at the dirt rolling under her boots. He took a weird interest in the big pinata, and she didn't get it. But she didn't get a lot of things.

"The other geeks must'a came and ate all the flesh off his legs," Daryl pointed, and that was enough for Andrea's small amount of food she ate today to come up. Ace glanced briefly up at Andrea and the fleshless-walker, but then looked quickly back down because it was a disgusting situation. She didn't want to think about it, she hated walkers. She hated the concept of them. She just wanted to get on with looking for Sophia.

"I thought we were changing the subject," Andrea groaned.

"Call that payback for laughin' at my itchy ass," Daryl said, looking back at her. Daryl turned to start walking away, but Andrea stopped him. She wanted him to use his crossbow and put the walker out of it's misery. Daryl said it would just be a waste of an arrow, it's not bothering anybody.

Ace saw where he was coming from, but he was being inhumane about it. She agreed with Andrea. It was just a man up there who wanted it to end. It's something easy to relate to, but he just wasn't smart enough to do it correctly. Still, he shouldn't be cursed to what he has become.

Andrea went quiet, going up to the walker and shinning her light on it. It was growling and frantically trying to reach her. Silence lasted for a while as Andrea just studied it, until Daryl came back with a thought. "Ya wanna live now?"

Ace found out that back at the CDC, Andrea had to try to stay in the blast. It was Dale who forced her out, which Ace is well aware of why they've been causing drama between themselves. She heard a lot of it.

Andrea agreed to give an answer for one of Daryl's arrows, but her answer wasn't what Ace wanted.

Ace understood that Andrea didn't want to live in this world, but Ace would give anything to trade places. Ace doesn't have a choice, she's going to die. Her cancer is going to kill her, she knows it will. That's the only reason she'd think about eating a bullet, because she might _have to._

But Andrea has a choice to stay on this earth. To fight and stay with this group. It may seem like earth has burnt over into hell, but to fight, to earn a life and friends like these ones, is something that Ace wants. She wants to stay and look for her little sister... be healthy. She wants to find Sophia and enjoy the happiness that will spread over the group when they do. She doesn't care if she has to go through killing walkers each day, she just wants to survive.

She wants to fight.


	15. The Fragility of Trust

On the walk back to the highway, Daryl could sense something had upset Ace. Or at least he thought she was upset. It was hard to tell, she really didn't show much emotion for him to see.

Andrea was clueless, just dragging herself up the small hill they were walking on, looking between Ace and Daryl. "How long were you alone before you met the group?" Andrea suddenly asked, still trying to change the subject from what they had just experienced. Neither Daryl nor Ace responded fast enough for Andrea. "Either of you..."

Again, neither answered. They weren't ones for questions, let alone talking. Daryl had been fairly talkative lately because with Rick gone, he seemed to be the one everyone looked to. He was escaping from the cold shell his brother had over him, but he had his limits. He wasn't going to become chatty Cathy and spill all his feelings to anyone like most of the people here.

It was obvious Ace wasn't either.

"Wasn't alone," Daryl grumbled simply.

It was a rough topic, so Andrea didn't press it. She just sighed and looked at Ace. "Ace?" Andrea pressed. "You said you had a sister?" Andrea's voice became sad at this, thinking of Amy. "Were you with her when it all went down?"

Ace's jaw clenched, sadness and guilt in her head at the mention of her sister. She glanced back at Andrea for a quick moment, gnawing on her cheek as Ace looked back in front of her. Both were waiting for an answer, Daryl finally wanting to get some. When Ace didn't answer quick enough, Andrea sighed loudly. Bringing her hands up and letting them fall down to her thighs when Ace took a substantial amount of time to not respond. "Fine, I get it. You don't like to talk," Andrea started. "But don't expect to be accepted into this group if you can't even tell us where you've been. We all know each other here, and trust is a big deal these days. _Especially_ for strangers."

Andrea finished her point and Ace stopped walking, turning slightly to watch Andrea walk past her with a slight speed in her walk. Andrea wasn't exactly trying to be rude or cruel, but how was Ace supposed to take it? Friendly advice? But Ace knew Andrea was looking for a reason to trust her. Ace had to give her _something_ to keep things civil between the two.

"No," Ace spoke silently, clearing her throat to answer Andrea's original question. Andrea's attention was caught again, causing her to pause so they could continue walking together. "She was in Atlanta. At the.." Ace paused, swallowing, hesitant to share personal information. "The Foster Care Center."

Ace was highly uncomfortable sharing this information, but she could tell Andrea was feeding off of it. This was something Ace had to do to get these people off her back. To let them accept her and not stir up a mess if she needed to leave.

"Foster care?" Andrea breathed out. "You don't have any other family?"

It was almost as if Andrea was jealous, or angry that Ace didn't have to go through loosing everyone to this. But Ace gulped, shyly darting her eyes back in front of her, avoiding the pressure that was now on her shoulders. Daryl's eyes had glanced to her as well, curious at the information. Sometimes Daryl felt like his brother was all he had, too.

"I was her caretaker," was all Ace said, wanting so badly to move on from this conversation.

"How old was she?" Andrea kept going, her voice pitying the other woman, but trying her best to relate this to her situation with Amy. Ace didn't appreciate the _was._

"Six."

Andrea stopped walking, freezing as she looked at Ace, which caused Daryl to slow to a stop as well. Ace wanted to crawl out of her body at Andrea's saddened gaze. Daryl kept his eyes down. It was like now they understood why Ace was so adamant about finding her little sister. And why losing Sophia was so hard on her. Being the caretaker of an infant meant that Ace had basically had a child. Thats why she took the blame from Carol, thats why it hurt her so bad.

And Daryl was able to put pieces together about the way Ace was.

Ace hated it. Andrea looked at her so sadly because even she knew it was impossible for a six year old to survive. The pity made Ace's stomach churn, but it quickly turned to guilt. She's looking for Sophia more than her own sister. She's replacing her with another little girl. She feels barely a strand of hope for finding her sister, so she puts it all on Sophia as if finding Sophia will make her feel better. But Ace misses her little sister. She misses her innocent smile and her cheerful giggles. Frankie was what kept Ace going, what kept her sane. Frankie kept Ace's morals in check. Frankie kept Ace in check.

Ace was glad when Andrea didn't push any further, even though she could see the questions written all over the woman's face. Andrea so badly wanted to ask why Ace wasn't fit for a caretaker, but instead just nodded.

Silence was eating away at Ace now as they started to walk away again. Ace stood still.

Daryl had slowed down to wait for Ace when he noticed she wasn't coming. It took Ace a moment to shake everything off and turn and start walking with him again. He kept glancing at her the whole silent way back to the highway.

\--

Arriving back at the RV, they all noticed Carol, who was waiting for them on top of the RV, run back inside crying. Ace looked down at her feet in sadness and guilt as she followed Daryl inside. Dale stopped Andrea for a moment to talk to her, so Ace let the door close.

Daryl huffed while taking his vest jacket off and throwing it on the ground for his pillow along with his crossbow. He was sweating and covered in dirt, Ace could see it over his arms even in the dark. Ace went back to her bench, sitting on it and simply rubbing her hands over her eyes in exhaustion. The drowsiness from her medications were really hitting her along with the mental exhaustion from today.

Daryl stopped himself from laying down on the floor to look back at Ace for a moment, hesitating slightly. "M'gonna run back out there and take one last look around in the mornin' before we leave," he stated. He didn't know why he was doing this, he just was.

Ace nodded, getting the message. Daryl nodded back before slumping onto the ground. That's all they needed for a conversation. Without even an actual question, she got that he was asking her to go.

It was funny how when the two laid down to get some rest, they both laid awake, thinking about the other.

\--

The next morning Ace was up as soon as the sun was.

A small ray of light coming in from the bottom of the RV window had her blinking her eyes to adjust to it. As she sat up from her half sitting, half laying position on the cushioned bench, her whole body felt sore. Her back had a significant ache to it, her body yelling at her for sleeping in the uncomfortable position. And her throat was drier than the weather outside. For Georgia, that's a lot.

Ace placed a hand on her lower back to support it as she moved to the edge of the cushion. She looked around the RV to see both Andrea and Carol in a deep sleep in the spots they were in last night. Ace figured it must be just barely the crack of dawn, based on how dead Carol and Andrea look. But as she glanced down to see if Daryl was still asleep, she saw an empty floor. She questioned where he was but soon her dry throat caught all of her attention.

Letting out a small breath, she reached behind her to grab her bag. She took her hand off her back to open it up and start digging inside. She pushed aside all the pill bottles and crumpled up papers to find her canteen of water at the bottom. Taking it out, she unscrewed the cap and peered inside to see she still had a substantial amount of water left. As she brought it up to her lips, she stopped herself when the collection of pill bottles caught her eye again.

Sighing, Ace screwed the cap back on the canteen and moved off the bench, slinging her backpack over her shoulder as she did. Before getting up, she slid her feet into her boots that were sitting at the edge of the bench and quickly laced them up. After grabbing her gun off the table and putting it in the back waistband of her pants, she started her way out.

Quietly, Ace went to the RV door and started down the stairs, catching sight of Dale in the passenger seat, fast asleep. She almost wanted to wake him up to get him out of the uncomfortable position he seemed to be in, but decided against taking away any of his sleep.

Ace pushed the RV door open, releasing the new day sunlight onto her. She squinted and felt warmth on her skin that was soon brushed away from a cool morning breeze. She treaded down the stairs, holding onto one strap of her backpack and letting the door close behind her. Ace took a moment to look around at all the deserted cars and supplies that they collected the past day, knowing they were going to have to leave the highway today to go to the farm. She wanted to stay for Sophia.

She figured maybe that she could stay by herself to wait for Sophia and even look around some more while the rest of the group went. Ace thought it was reasonable, and none of the group would really care anyways. She's not even a part of their business. Although, another part of Ace was dying to get a look at this farm and see how Carl was doing. Ace decided she would bring it up to someone, maybe Dale since he is the most understanding But for now, she had to deal with what's in her bag.

Ace looked behind her at the RV door to make sure no one was following her out here before she started walking down the road. She went past a few of the cars they had ransacked and pushed off the road, finding one further down that seemed to be far enough away. She peered into all the windows to make sure it was clear of biters before climbing up onto the trunk. She felt pain shoot up her back, but ignored it as she pushed herself to hop onto the roof. She took a look around her, assessing her surroundings and watching for any sign of danger, but when she saw none, she crouched down.

Ace pulled her backpack off of her back and set it in front of her, opening it up. She pulled out all the pills and set them down on the roof, bottle after bottle. When they were all in front of her, Ace felt overwhelmed. It was so much to keep track of, so much to worry about, and so much sickness that lied in front of her.

Her back was starting to hurt from her crouching position so she gave in and sat criss-cross in front of all the medicine. For a while, she just stared at it all, feeling quite a bit empty, besides the cancer growing inside of her. And quite a bit hopeless, besides the small ball of fire in her stomach. Ace thought back to last night, hearing Andrea talking about how she wasn't sure if she wanted to live or not. She remembered the craving she had to be able to be Andrea and not have to worry about dying without a choice. She remembered the need to live that made the fire in her stomach grow like the cancer.

Ace straightened her back and looked at her medicine with a determined look. She decided today is the day she is going to stop being afraid of them all and take what she's supposed to. To keep herself alive, without fear of the side effects. She can deal with them, she has before. She wants to fight.

Jenner had left her a list of what to take and when with all of the pills. And when she did the math- it was pretty much all of them... everyday. Until she ran out, that is.

Gulping down a small amount of dread and uncertainty, Ace started popping off the caps and unscrewing the one to her canteen. She decided not to think about anything and just shoved the the pills into her mouth, gulping them down with the water. She did this two more times until they were all gone, and then chugged all of her water after.

With a heavy breath, she breathed out, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. She instantly regretted this because all she did was rub dirt on her face. Ace looked down at herself and saw how god awfully dirty she was. She hasn't changed clothes since the start of all this, really. It's not like she has had an option, but maybe the farm would give her a chance to change into some clean clothes she took from the C.D.C. All the dirt covering her reminded her of days from her childhood, causing a chill to erupt.

Ace didn't know if things were worse then or now.

Ace sat up and starts to close all the pill bottles, placing everything in her bag. After organizing it all and keeping her weapons and water at the top, she closed it up and slung it back over her shoulders. She took a moment to look around around her, catching the sunrise beginning at the horizon. The sun was bright and the sky around it was a light pink, fading into the orange clouds. It was beautiful, but Ace could only see the ugliness it's light was being casted upon.

Ace looked away and put her hands on the edge of the car, pushing herself and hopping off. She landed on the ground with a soft thud, and didn't ease her stance up until she had looked around at the surrounding cars for any biters that might appear from the noise.

When none came, she stood up straight and started walking back to the RV.

She was looking over into the forest, thinking about Sophia, when she remembered that her and Daryl were going to look for her this morning. Ace wondered if Daryl went without her and quickly looked back at the RV. To her surprise, Ace spotted Daryl on the roof. He was standing with his crossbow on his back and a rifle in his hands, staring right down at Ace, making her freeze. He'd been watching her the whole time.

Ace didn't think that he'd be on watch, or that anyone would. _Shit_ , she wished it would have been Dale still up there. He would be a thousand times easier to explain it to. Or in this case, make up excuses to. But now, she had Daryl on her and his blue eyes staring into her soul.

She looked away from them and down at her feet, continuing her walk over there. Ace wanted to turn and run, but knew she couldn't do that, so she sucked it up. When she got to the RV, Ace didn't look back up at Daryl, not once. Not even when she heard him walk to the edge of the RV, expecting her to. Not even when he jogged over to the ladder and climbed down. She just went straight inside, trying her best to pretend it didn't happen. It wasn't any of Daryl's business.

Ace walked up the steps and went over to her bench. She quietly set her bag down in the corner and took her gun out from her waistband. She heard the door open and Daryl's heavy steps come up the stairs. He didn't even try to be quiet for the people sleeping in here, instead he let the door slam behind him.

"Where'd ya go?" He asked, not in a whisper. He knew where she was, he was watching her. Ace stayed quiet with her back to him, pulling her clip out of her gun to busy herself. "I asked ya a question," Daryl stated behind her, irritated.

Ace again didn't respond. She pulled the bullets she knew she had in her front pocket out and started putting them in the clip.

"Aye," Daryl snapped and started to take a step towards her. He was so fed up with her quietness. Ace slammed her clip back into her gun, not acknowledging Daryl. She didn't know what to say, not like she usually did anyway. Daryl squinted at her, breathing slightly heavy. "What were ya doin'?" He now asked, barely quieter.

Ace reached behind her to put her gun back in the waistband of her pants, Daryl eyeing her while she did. Ace didn't say anything as she grabbed her bag again, putting it over her shoulders and onto her back before turning around. She didn't look at Daryl, just headed straight for the door, squeezing past him.

"Hey," he called while spinning around. "Where ya think ya goin'?

"To look for Sophia," Ace finally stated with a slight hiss. "You should be on watch." She signaled to the gun in his hand before pulling away and heading down the stairs, knowing that would tick him off. She was trying to avoid this and him as best as she could right now. She wanted him out of her hair.

Daryl scowled in anger and made the quick decision to kick the back of the passenger seat and wake the old man. Dale snorted once and sat up quickly in surprise, reaching around for a gun out of reflex. "Take watch, I'm goin' out," Daryl snapped, tossing the rifle at Dale before turning away. Dale caught it and looked at him with a confused, tired expression as Daryl jogged out the door after Ace. He pulled his crossbow off his back to hold in his hands as he ran to catch up with Ace. "Stop," he called at her.

Ace didn't stop, just climbed over the road railing and started off into the forest. Daryl had to speed walk over to her. "Mouse _, damn stop,_ " Daryl said in a more demanding tone when shuffled over the railing as well.

 _Mouse_ got Ace to freeze, turning back around to him, her face pinched together. "What you just call me?"

Daryl now stopped walking as well, sliding down the bottom of the hill. "Thats yer name, ain't it?" Daryl referred to her last name, which there was not a chance he could pronounce again if he wanted. It just sounded like damn mouse.

Ace looked at him almost dumbfounded. "No."

"Well ya sure are sneakin' around here like a damn mouse," Daryl huffed, letting his crossbow swing at his side. Angrily, he pointed back at the highway, referring to how she has been acting lately. Always watchin' them all like she had some sort of judgement, then running off all quiet like.

Ace looked at Daryl in his bright blue eyes, trying to figure him out. But she couldn't, and she didn't know what he wanted from her. She didn't owe any of this group information about herself. She told Andrea about her sister last night to get her off her back. Her cancer was her own problem. Something _she_ needed to figure out. If she had to leave, it was pointless to tell anyone. And if she stayed, it still was none of their business until she figured out what she needed to do. They would just stir up a mess over it, and their attentions needed to be on the children, not her.

They both paused in their gaze for a second before Daryl's face hardened as he looked at her. Ace's face was hard and her mouth was sealed shut. She wasn't easy to read like the others, and definitely not easy to get her to talk. It pissed him off.

"Ya know," Daryl started, looking at her with venom. "Andrea was right with what she said last night to ya." Daryl pointed his finger at Ace's face. "I don't know ya. None of us know nothin' about'cha. None of us know if we can _trust ya_ ," he growled.

Ace just looked at him, his words making her breaths become more hollow. It reminded her of when he yelled at her back at the campsite. She had thought at least Daryl did trust her, that she had told him enough. That what happened with Merle had at least given her one person in this group to not worry about. She thought Daryl understood, that they had common ground. Maybe she had assumed too much in her head too quickly.

"Ya want'ta be here, walk around like ya know who _we_ are, then ya gotta open yer damn mouth and stop hidin' so much shit," Daryl hissed. His attitude was vile and his voice angered Ace because he doesn't know anything, but she just let him go off. Maybe he had been trying to figure her out, too. "It's gonna get ya no where but _dead._ And not one of us are gonna give a shit." He spat, giving her one last glare before pushing past her and taking off into the forest.

Ace stood there, gnawing on the inside of her cheek at his cruel words. She didn't know if the way Daryl spoke to her, or if the way that everything he said was true, was worse. Ace didn't think she was secretive, she was just dealing with her own shit, not broadcasting it to everyone. But Daryl was a hunter. He picked up on things. And maybe he was looking out for the safety of the group. Ace was the only odd man out.

Ace clenched her fists and looked to where Daryl just marched off to. How much did this group know about him? How much did he talk to them? Why does she keep getting rattled for being silent and not telling her whole life story? Why not Daryl?

The leaves rustling in front of her caught Ace's attention and she quickly was pulling out her knife, only to let it fall when she saw Daryl. He was dangling his crossbow at his side and his face was still sour in anger as he looked at Ace. "Ya comin' or what?" He snapped.

Ace sighed and put her knife back in it's sheath, sucking it all up and turning to follow after Daryl. She's got to find Sophia, after all. She should have just gone on her own in the beginning. That's how it's supposed to be. She's just supposed to be alone like always. It's all she's good at.

But now she's stuck here with these people, confused as all hell on what she should do. And worse - they have been finding a way to weasel themselves into her life. She was starting to _care_ for some of them, even after they constantly pushed her buttons. It made everything harder, impossible to decide if she should stay or go.


	16. When The Dead Come Knocking

Ace followed a bit behind Daryl through the woods, her knife ready in her hand as they pushed silently through the forest. Their heads rotated, always looking at the side the other wasn't. Their feet barely made noise on the bunches of leaves under them. It was like they became one as they tracked.

It took Ace a second to catch up with Daryl after he stormed off. But she didn't say a word as she kept on after him, just gave him the space he needed to cool down. She didn't really know what to think of it all, besides that she couldn't tell him anything. Yet, her mind was working a mile a minute. Eventually, Daryl did let himself relax and then slowed his fast pace to pair up with Ace again.

Now they moved on like nothing had happened, because there really was no reason to drag on about it, even if they were still thinking about it. Neither Ace or Daryl were about that and it was too hypocritical for them to judge the other. They were too similar, with Sophia on their minds and everything. Even their footsteps matched up perfectly. And their postures were built the same. 

And apparently so was their sense of hearing because both of them immediately snapped their heads to look at the other when twigs snapping could be heard in the distance. They had a silent conversation as they looked at each other. _Sophia or walkers?_

Daryl was pleased that he didn't have to signal Ace to be quiet, like he would have to any other member of the group, and knew that she knew what to do. I guess that's one thing he can't complain about... One foot at a time, they snuck across to where they heard the sound come from. They didn't want to be directly in front of it and spook it, but they had to be close and ready.

They shared another quick look as the crunching of leaves got closer. Ace prayed that it would be Sophia staggering along, and she knew Daryl probably was too. It wasn't like he was _hoping_ for the dead.

But as they looked away from each other, they were both greeted with the sight of torn, rotten flesh staggering past them. Ace's heart dropped, but was only then just surrounded with disgust. She _hated_ the dead. It should have been Sophia.

It was only one walker, so Daryl quickly lifted up his crossbow and took it down. Ace squeezed her eyes to rid the sight of the body falling before following Daryl to it. He yanked his arrow out of it's forehead, blood oozing out of the hole soon after. Ace didn't look at it, just up to Daryl as he wiped his arrow off on his pants. He met Ace's eyes before they both started to look around for any other signs of danger. It seemed clear.

"Guess this sum'bitch was walkin' alone," Daryl mumbled, reloading his crossbow.

Ace nodded, still scanning around them. It was almost as if Daryl spoke a millisecond too soon because right after, there was another crack of a twig coming from behind them. They turned to look, only to be greeted by an army of dead corpses.

 _God_...

With wide eyes, Daryl and Ace looked at each other. They didn't have a silent plan that was transmitted through their eyes this time, only _oh shit_. This was a nightmare, one Ace didn't know if she could handle.

"We gotta go," Daryl huffed, picking up his crossbow.

"We can't run," Ace stopped him, her voice solid, but fear lingering in her chest. There were so many of them, and Ace always has done what she could to avoid a massacre.

"We gotta'," Daryl pressed, pressing his cheek against the crossbow as the walkers got closer. The dead hadn't noticed them yet, but it was only a matter of seconds.

Ace shook her head, doing her best to think up a plan. "We'll just lead 'em back to the others, put them all in danger."

Daryl looked to her, almost taken aback. She was right. And Ace had thought of that before he did. He was shocked she was even worried about the others, but had some hell of respect for her doing so. She could'a bolted, or gotten them all killed. "Alright then," Daryl huffed just as the dead started to growl when they noticed the two. "We take 'em. Do it quietly."

Ace turned to the group of dead, her hands struggling to hold onto her knife they were so clammy. She hated killing them, worrying if she would even be able to take down so many. But she _had_ to. She couldn't freak out. She couldn't. This wasn't just her life, it was Daryl's, too. And everyone back at the highway. Maybe even the farm. She had decided it earlier, that she wanted to live. So she had to fight.

So fight Ace would. She had to learn to get over her hatred these things anyway, so why not now? What a perfect time to learn.

"Ready?" Daryl turned his head to ask her, not showing any sign of weakness like Ace was. He was unsure what to expect, but he would kill whatever he had to. Ace sucked in a breath, putting her thoughts to the back of her head. It was her and the dead now. "Ready."

With a nod, they both put them self into the dead, fighting for their life.

Daryl shot off his crossbow, staying and shooting while Ace ran up at the closest walker, shoving her knife into it's skull and ripping it out. She watched as it crumpled to the ground, her mind running haywire. _Shut it down_ , she thought to herself. _Fight._

She turned at the sense of a walker to her left and sent her knife flying backwards, pushing it in the side of it's skull. Blood splattered all over her, sticking to her neck. Ace tried not to think about it as she pulled the knife back out. She had more to kill. Another one was coming up to her and she repeated what she did again as Daryl stayed back to fire off as many arrows as he could, grunting loudly each time he had to reload his crossbow. Sweat started to grow at his hairline and he only took a second to wipe it away before taking down another walker. He glanced at Ace as he reloaded his last arrow.

She was going, silently huffing with each strong effort she took to kill more of the dead. Her muscles ached and her breathing was starting to become labored, but she pushed through. She kept going. Her skin was sticky with blood and brains, even some of her own sweat, but she didn't think about it.

Soon the walkers started to surround her, getting closer, and she resorted to more tactical skills. Just like her foster dad had also taught her how to shoot, he thought her how to fight. Although it was more of a drunkenly fun activity for him, Ace thanked him for it now.

Ace shoved the biter in front of her to give her more time to stab the one on her left. She didn't even take in what each one looked like before moving on to the next. She spun around, lifting her leg as she did to kick the one on her right with as much force as she could. It fell to the ground and Ace quickly stomped her foot down on it's head, grunting lightly. She bounced back immediately to swipe the feet out from under the one in front of her that was coming forwards again. It fell on its side, giving Ace the opportunity to lean down and send her knife right above the ear and into its brain.

All of her movements were quick and thought out, never giving enough time in between each action for walkers to get close enough to her. Daryl was shocked at her ability to fight, but couldn't let himself get distracted. He was out of arrows. He chucked his crossbow behind him and ran up to Ace, taking out the two walkers between them with his knife quickly so he could get to her. They had a small moment of eye contact and soon enough, they were back to back, fighting and tearing apart the rotting flesh in front of them.

Daryl wasn't as graceful and his movements weren't as planned, but he could fight like all hell. He had so much strength to use, sending his knife in and out of heads without a second in between, while kicking ones away with his right foot. He even punched a few in the jaw to give himself more space.

But soon both Ace and Daryl found their strategy and a good pace. With both of them back to back, they'd take out one at a time in front of them, simple with a knife in the forehead, blocking their arms from coming near. Then they'd step a bit to the side, rotating and doing it again. They had a system and with Ace's speed and Daryl's strength, they couldn't be touched. They became a team and fought until the very last walker was down at their feet.

Panting and huffing like a wild animal, Daryl looked around him, still gripping tightly onto his knife, daring anything to come out at him because he would rip it a new one _easily_.

Ace's chest was heaving up and down as she held her knife at her side. Her arms were covered in blood from her victims, and each time she turned her head, she felt the splatters of blood itch at her skin. She felt... different. Like she never has before. She also felt _sick_.

Daryl looked a mess and Ace knew she did too, especially when her and Daryl faced the other. He looked almost as gross as Ace felt and he thought the same thing. They couldn't stop looking at the other, sort of confused and sort of victorious. They didn't even need to say anything. Daryl was still trying to wrap his head around it all.

Daryl laughing ripped Ace from her thoughts. He was still trying to catch his breath, but was chuckling a rough laugh. "Fuckin' hell," he breathed, looking around him.

Ace laughed a little with him as she felt her adrenaline start to slow. It was now that she felt the pain in her back roaring up her spine like wildfire. It made a chuckle get caught in her throat.

Daryl stepped out of the circle of bodies they created and went to start collecting as many arrows as he could find, also making sure that all the dead were really dead. "Nothin' better than startin' out ya mornin' with some dumb, dead bastard action," he grumbled sarcastically, a bit amused.

Ace went to step out of the ring of bodies as well, just wanting to catch her breath away from all the decay. But as soon as she moved, she started to feel dizzy. She stumbled away from the dead, her feet hitting grass, but her body feeling like it hit a wall. This had to be because of all her medication. This had happened to her before, but with the mixture of brutally killing that many walkers, it was worse.

Ace reached out to put her hand on a nearby tree, leaning against it. Her head was spinning and she could see multiple colorful images of everything in front of her glazed over eyes. She was gonna throw up.

No. She didn't want to, not here. Not in front of anyone. Ace tried to take a breath, control her body and mind. But she couldn't stop her stomach from betraying her and soon she was letting _everything_ out.

Daryl immediately heard and looked up from gathering his arrows.

"Ya alright?" He asked over and Ace shook her head yes, despite the fact that she wasn't. After puking once, Ace paused, thinking it might have been over. Maybe she was fine now?

Nope. Nope, she definitely had more.

Daryl started walking over to her, squinting as he watched her fall ill. He wasn't afraid of a little puke, 'specially not after she just teamed up with him to take down that group of walkers. Not everyone in the group could'a done that.

Ace's stomach was convulsing, but now she didn't have anything else to puke up. Daryl noticed how awful she started to look. "Ya sure? Seem real pale," he mentioned, noticing the sweat rolling down Ace's forehead and her bloodshot eyes. At first, he thought it was just cause she was grossed out. Andrea did the same thing last night. But Daryl felt like something was off.

Daryl thought back to this morning, when he saw her on the car. Then last night, when he caught her limping and she wouldn't tell him what was wrong.

"Fine," Ace pushed out with a grunt. She used every ounce of force she had left to push herself to stand up straight. She felt like her muscles were getting stuck, she needed to move. Ace didn't meet Daryl's eyes as she took a moment to try to control herself, she was embarrassed he watched her get sick. It was gross. And she also was nervous it would spark more questions. Her entire body was on fire, tingling with pain and nausea.

Daryl's eyes were squinted in confusion as he waited for her. He didn't know what was going on with her.

Ace wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, almost getting sick again at all the blood she rubbed on her face. She held it together, now looking up, glad at least her vision wasn't spinning. Ace looked over to Daryl, feeling like hell. Her head was light and her whole body ached. Sweat matted her hair down and her mouth tasted awful.

Daryl met her eyes with a look on his face that showed he had a thousand questions, even seeming a little angry about it. He wanted to understand Ace because he just couldn't fucking read her. He just needed answers. He had no idea who she was and she was hiding somethin'. She was being too weird not to be. Daryl knows that he's sure as hell is not an open book, but it's because he's just some hick. He's got nothin' to hide, not really, he just doesn't want anyone in his business. But Ace... Maybe it's cause he can't figure her out like everyone else, but he just doesn't feel right about not knowin'.

"Sorry," Ace finally spoke, very awkwardly, avoiding his eyes again.

Daryl was gnawing on the inside of his cheek and squinting his eyes as he inspected her. But he never said a thing, just nodded. "Can ya walk?" He questioned, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. That question let Ace know he saw how sick she looked. She cursed to herself. Ace nodded. She probably would have said yes even if she couldn't just because she was done being so weak. And what was Daryl going to do, carry her? Hell no. She really just wanted to get away from this situation in general.

"Better head back. 'for they get their panties in a bunch'," Daryl starting nodded his head in the direction of the highway. Relief washed over Ace that he didn't ask her any more questions, agreeing with him.

Her whole body felt like it was near collapsing, but she kept pushing through it. Maybe Daryl thought it was from all the walkers and she was just assuming he had more questions. Maybe she could skate by. For now, at least.

Daryl kept his crossbow ready the whole way back, not wanting to be spooked by walkers again. And 'cause he knows Ace wouldn't be able to fight one off with all her energy gone, so he had her to watch for as well. He kept taking glances over to her, seeing how she looked close to death. He couldn't help the idea that sparked in his head and had him hesitating. He had thought about it last night. Maybe she was bit. Maybe the fever was taking longer to get to her with all them drugs she was taking.

Ace said she wasn't bit last night and Daryl believed her, but it was starting to make more and more sense to him. What else was it? He just didn't know. And he was growing irritated that he cared. Why did he care? She wasn't his fuckin' problem.

The rest of the time back they walked in silence to the road, Ace pushing through how tired and flat out awful she felt. She was glad Daryl wasn't asking anything, even though she couldn't stop thinking about what he might know, or might think. He wouldn't stop glancing at her. But she just needed to get back right now. Drink some water, maybe try to hold some food down. It's just her medication. It's gonna ease up.

She pushed the memories away of all the times it hadn't eased up in the past.

Ace grew pale again, knowing this was how she was now. If taking the medicine was the only thing that could spare her extra time to stay alive, the side effects were going to get in the way of her moving on to find Frankie. If she went out on the road on her own, she could pass out and wake up as walker bait. If she left with Shane, he might just put a bullet in her head the second she got sick. Or she could tell him it was cancer, and god knows how Shane would respond to that. Probably would leave her behind.

_Fuck._

It was looking more and more like staying with the group was the safest option. And that option would limit the range in which she could search for Frankie.

Once again, Ace was left with impossible decisions. And way too many questions.


	17. There Is No Right Answer

When they returned to the RV, the group definitely had their panties in a bunch.

"Well, welcome back," Dale said, almost scoldingly.

Daryl ignored him and just went over to his bike, digging out his water canteen and drinking some. He saw Carol out of the corner of his eye look around for a sign of Sophia, making him quickly look away. They hadn't found anything, barely got much of a look before they got ambushed and Ace got sick. Daryl glanced over to Ace, watching as she tried to sneak past everyone and into the RV.

"You guys have been gone all morning. Where the hell did you go?" Andrea crossed her arms, pressing on them. Both Daryl and Ace cringed, hating her need to stir up things.

"Told ya. Went lookin' for Sophia," Daryl said accusingly. He didn't need them on his ass.

"We've been waiting," Andrea argued. "I thought the plan was to leave at first light."

"It was. Still is," Daryl grumbled simply. He looked over to where Ace was and saw she made it into the RV, escaping the groups questions. Daryl remembered how he needed to keep an eye on her, see if she was bit, so started to walk away from his bike.

"Then what were you-"

"You're covered in blood," Carol cut Andrea off, her eyes glazed in tears. Carol's voice was soft, making Daryl realize what she might think.

"Ran into some walkers... Ain't no sign of Sophia," He told her. She nodded, but still spun to run off into the RV. The walkers could have passed Sophia. Daryl knew it, but there was no way they could'a check every single gut bag there.

"How many where there?" Dale asked, forgetting about scolding them.

"'Bout two dozen," Daryl informed.

"Two dozen?!" Dale leaned back in surprise. "What happened?"

"Came outta' nowhere," Daryl shrugged.

"Why didn't you just get the hell out?" Andrea asked, like thats what she would have done.

"Couldn't exactly do that, could we? Would'a led 'em right back here," Daryl pointed out. It was cause of Ace they didn't run. Daryl glanced at the RV.

"So you guys killed two dozen walkers? All by yourselves?" Andrea asked in disbelief. It was like she wanted a reason to be angry.

"Yep."

"And Ace... helped?" Andrea did not trust Ace, even after last night.

Daryl scrunched his eyebrows. "'Course she helped. What the hell ya think?" He stood up for Ace. "Wasn't for her y'all would have a lot more problems than us bein' a little late."

"She's a good addition to the group," Dale agreed and Andrea backed off. Daryl was not one to argue with.

Daryl huffed and turned to head into the RV, done with the conversation. "We leave in ten." He was about to run up the steps, but stopped himself on the first step when he heard Carol's voice.

"If it's guilt that's makin' you... You should just stop," Carol said, talking at Ace. "All these searches and all you come back with is blood all over. You're just making it worse."

Daryl didn't hear Ace say anything, to no surprise, but Carol also stopped with her attacks. Daryl decided he would make himself known now. Both of Ace and Carol looked over to him when he came in, his feet heavy. Carol wiped the tears from under her eyes, making Daryl feel worse for her, and Ace was in the middle of going through her bag.

Daryl cleared his throat awkwardly. "We're headin' out soon. Should get'cha stuff together," he said, looking at Carol. She sniffled and nodded. "I'll finish up on the sign for Sophia," Carol said quietly before moving past him and Ace to leave the RV. Daryl watched her leave, then his eyes danced over to Ace. She was grabbing something out from her bag. Daryl tried to peak over her shoulder to see inside, thinking to when he saw her with it this morning. But he couldn't see much before Ace pulled out her canteen of water and a granola bar, zipping it up after.

"Be better if ya eat?" He asked, getting Ace to look back at him for a brief moment. She really wasn't sure, it could either go down or come back up. But she wasn't gonna say that. She simply just nodded. "Was it the walkers?" Daryl asked, even though he knew it had to be more. "Tha' made ya all sick?" He just wanted to question her, maybe if he lightly poked then she'd give him some type of answers. Ace looked at him, meeting his curious eyes without saying anything. He waited for an answer, but all he got was a nod. He shifted on his feet, watching her as she took a bite from the granola bar. "Ain't sick or nothin?" He was pushing closer to his idea of her being bit. He had to know, he told himself it was for the safety of the group.

Ace turned to face him now, her face still pale, but her eyes less bloodshot. The water she splashed on her face helped clean off some of the layers of gunk that piled on, so she didn't look _as_ horrible. "I'm fine, jus-" Ace couldn't even finish her lie to him before her stomach convulsed at the feeling of the granola bar and she had to spin from him. Despite how weak her muscles felt, she still hurried into the small bathroom of the RV and fell onto the floor just in time for the small amount of food she put in to come back up into the toilet. She couldn't keep it down. _Shit._

Daryl rushed after her, standing behind her and looking down as she puked again. Ace was so dizzy and soon started to cough, feeling like the lining of her stomach was trying to come up. She was reliving the hell she thought she got through once already. And this wasn't even the worst of it, if she remembered correctly. The treatment was a vivid memory in her head. The pills shouldn't have been affecting her so badly, but living in the apocalypse with barely any food and water was affecting everything.

"Ya bit," she heard Daryl say from behind her. It wasn't a question. He was sure.

"What?" Ace wheezed, trying to push herself up. She wished she could just get sick alone and not have to explain any of this. It be so much easier.

Daryl reached over and put his hand on Ace's forehead, causing her to flinch back, but he just kept it on. It was warm. "Ya been bit," he said louder, standing back up straight. He was growing hostile. He trusted this girl, like he shouldn't have. He didn't know why he did, she was a new person, not to be trusted, bottom line. Fuck whatever happened with Merle.

But he did. And she lied about bein' bit? Ace didn't seem like someone who wouldn't say nothin' if she was. It didn't make sense and it made him mad. "Ain't no point in lyin' to me, ya burnin' up."

"No-" Ace tempted weakly, trying to stand up. God, she wished he didn't have to be around her today.

"Gotta tell the rest of 'em," Daryl backed up.

Ace didn't know what to do or how to explain herself. If the group thought she was bit... That's much worse. They'd shoot her in the head before she could tell them anything. As if they'd even believe her.

"No wonder ya keep so damn quiet! Ya been bit this whole time, haven't ya?!" Daryl mused, throwing his arm up. "Ain't never should'a trusted ya... Ya just a new girl, full'a shit."

"I'm, no, I..." Ace stumbled, trying to just hurry and stand up. Her bones and muscles wouldn't work right and she was way too dizzy for her own good. She just couldn't let Daryl get away and tell the others. She pushed her body up, gripping onto the doorway as she left the small bathroom. "Wait," Ace called, her voice rough from her previous coughing fit. Shit. She didn't know what to do.

Hoping she didn't pass out, Ace quickly moved and lunged after Daryl, grabbing onto his upper arm. " _Stop!_ " Ace breathed. Daryl flinched, making Ace quickly drop her hand when she noticed. Ace let out a breath, shaking it off. "I am not bit. I'm _not_."

Daryl just looked at her, his chest huffing. "Then what?" He huffed harshly. "Ya sick, sneakin' around us all. Puttin' the group in danger."

"I'm not. I wouldn't," Ace pleaded. "You think I would? Those kids..."

Daryl knew she was telling the truth about that, especially after learning more about her little sister. He could see it in her. She spent all this time worryin' and lookin' for Sophia, it wouldn't make sense. She had a thing for the little ones, and she would just leave if she was bit. Not like anyone would care.

"Ya still hidin' somethin'," Daryl argued. Ace dropped her head for a moment, seeing that he'd given up on the bite theory. Thank God.

"Just sick... The flu or the heat or somethin'," Ace said, trying not to let her lie show so clearly on her face. She is sick, though, so maybe it's not all a lie? They're in the middle of a damn apocalypse, dehydration is enough to mess someone up.

Daryl shook his head, not so sure he believed her.

"What, you want me to strip down? Show you I'm not bit?" Ace pressed uncomfortably. She knew it would make Daryl uncomfortable, too. But it would prove she had nothing to hide. Daryl's jaw clenched as he looked at her, body rigid. His silence was enough of an answer for Ace, making her start to calm down. If Daryl could just give it a rest. Why did he care so much? It was Ace's problem.

The two stood there, both agitated. Ace's head was throbbing, debating just running out of here.

But Ace didn't have time to because soon Dale was walking in. "Ready to head out?" Dale asked, looking at them, only to halt when he did, realizing he just walked in on something. But then him and Ace made eye contact.

"Ace... you look awful. Are you alright?" Dale questioned, walking towards them and putting his rifle strap over his shoulder.

Ace glanced over at Daryl who was looking right back down at her. Was he going to say something?

"Uh," Ace stuttered. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine..." Dale pointed out.

Ace attempted to flash him a small smile, to show him she was alright, but it was weak and forced. Usually Dale never was too hard on her. They seemed to get along. "No, I'm okay. Just tired... from the walkers," she attempted with the lie, glancing at Daryl again before back at Dale. She was expecting Daryl to say something, but he didn't. Relief washed over her that he was the type to keep to himself.

Dale nodded, letting her go. Guess the lie made sense. to him. "Just take it easy, yeah? We're ready to head to the farm now."

Ace nodded as he placed a hand on her shoulder for a comforting gesture and then watched as he went to the drivers seat of the RV. Ace's heart beat was irregular, cursing at herself for handling this so poorly. Why the hell didn't Daryl say anything?

She looked at Daryl, but as soon as their eyes met he turned and looked away, heading out of the RV without another word.

Ace let out a breath, but has never felt more confused. She didn't know why Daryl didn't say anything and doesn't know if he plans to. It seemed like Daryl didn't want to distract attention from the search for Sophia either, at least. Luckily their similarities on that topic will give her a chance to figure this out.

Ace didn't know what to do. She either had to tell Daryl what it was or suffer the consequences of him constantly up her ass. Or she had to leave.

Maybe this farm would give her a chance to find her answer.


	18. Peace Is An Illusion

Ace watched as clouds of dust surrounded the windows of the RV as it sped down the dirt road. Anything was better than looking at the grieving mother across from her.

They rode in an awkward silence, Ace not able to even look at Carol. She just wasn't needing Carol's berating accusations in this moment.

Carol sat across the table from her, looking almost as bad as Ace is. Carol hasn't stopped crying, and barely sleeps anymore. It can be seen on her. But that was different than Ace. Now that Ace had settled down, her stomach did too. The fact that she had nothing left inside her to hurl up helped. She still felt her bones ache with each movement. And she felt very light headed, but she could manage it now that Daryl gave her a second to breathe.

At least they were close to the farm. Ace was hit with a wave of nervousness as she continued to look out the window. She hoped Carl was okay, she really did, she couldn't take losing anymore children. But she didn't know what to expect, and more importantly, she didn't know what to do.

As much as she knew it would be easier to just leave, end all these ties with this broken group and make things less complicated, her logical side knew that was stupid.

"We're here," Dale pointed out, getting Ace and Carol to turn to him. Ace carefully got out of her seat, needing an excuse to get away from Carol's glares, and full of curiosity as she went to stand behind the driver's seat. Through the dust clouds and past Daryl's motorcycle, a large white farm house started to appear. It was further back, miles of farm land surrounding it on every angle. Each side fenced in by wooden barricades.

Ace couldn't tear her eyes away. It was so secluded, so away from all the gore they've witnessed, especially on the highway. It was so... _Peaceful_.

Dale and Ace shared a look, both of them thinking the same thing. 

It was a long driveway down, but as soon as Andrea's break lights went on in front of them, Dale was stopping the RV. No one said anything as they all stepped outside. No one really knew what to even think, let alone feel.

Rick, Lori, Glenn, T-dog and three people Ace didn't recognize stepped out of the house to great them. One was an older man, his posture tall and serious. He looked like he ran the place. Behind him stood an older woman, her hair was blond and tied back, holding herself away unsurely. To her left was a younger girl that seemed closer of age to Ace. Her hair was short and she scrunched her face at the new people.

Ace then looked at the people she knew. Both Lori and Rick had exhaustion written all over their faces, but T-dog seemed to be much better, giving her some relief. Glenn seemed like the same old Glenn, never really fazed by much.

Ace walked closer, but still stayed behind everyone, not feeling she had a place in this. She glanced forward and saw Daryl was bent over, fixing something on the back of his bike before grabbing his knife and putting back in the sheath he had on his side. He only gave squinted glances at the people who came out to greet them.

When they all joined each other, Dale immediately went over to Rick and Lori. "How is he?"

A ghost of a smile danced over Lori's face. "He'll pull through."

Relief hit Ace in her weak stomach, causing her to let out a breath. She was so glad Carl was okay. But then, she started to wonder _how_ he was okay.

"Thanks to Hershel and his people..." Lori looked at them. Ace identified the older man as Hershel.

"And Shane," Rick added in. "We would have lost Carl if not for him."

It was at this point that Ace looked over to see Shane and two others walk over. Ace didn't even notice the two unknown faces, too caught up in Shane's appearance. He was wearing clothes that had to be over two times his size, so much so that he had to hold the overalls up when he walked. It was that, that caused Ace to notice his limp. And then when she looked up at him, she saw all his hair was gone. He'd shaved it off.

Rick looked back at Shane, giving him a nod before turning back to Dale and embracing him in a hug. Carol went over and did the same to Lori, confessing how worried she was. Andrea went over to T-dog. Daryl just watched, swinging his arm at his side. And Ace just stayed back, as usual.

But Ace couldn't take her eyes off Shane. He had no response to any of it, just this look on his face and in his eyes that gave Ace a bad feeling. What had happened?

"How'd it happen?" Dale asked Rick. 

"Hunting accident. Just a stupid, stupid accident..." Rick laughed a little. It was now that Shane shifted on his feet and looked up, catching Ace's eyes. She saw something.

"Our man Otis," the man, Hershel said, his voice serious. Ace saw Shane almost twitch at the sound of his name.

"He shot Carl?" Daryl asked, his voice gruff and accusatory.

"He didn't mean to," the woman behind Hershel said, her voice upset. "He made it right," she cried.

"She's right," Rick spoke to Daryl, getting him to ease up. "He went with Shane to go get some more supplies from the high school a few miles down. They got ambushed by walkers... He didn't make it out," Rick looked down, feeling the sadness that came off of the members of the farm. "But if it weren't for him..."

Daryl just nodded and let it be.

"We'll be having a service for him in an hour," Hershel cut to a different subject. "It mean a lot if you came to honor him."

It was after that, that the group dispersed. Hershel's people all went inside to get ready for the service, leaving their group all out here.

"Can we see him?" Carol asked.

Lori nodded and smiled, holding out her arm to lead Carol and Andrea inside. The rest of them followed, except for Ace and Daryl.

"Think it's right," Daryl grumbled as he went to grab his crossbow off of his bike. Ace didn't know what he meant, and Daryl could tell that by her silence. "That their man didn' make it," he stated, looking up to Ace. Ace was a little taken aback at what he said, but also the 180 he did from his anger with her just a half hour ago. She couldn't keep up with this man.

"It was an accident," Ace offered quietly. Daryl just shrugged.

"He shot the kid, only seems fair."

Ace had to take in his logic for a moment and couldn't help relate it back to herself. By Daryl's opinion, maybe her cancer was the way of the world makin' shit she had done fair. Ace felt sick again. "Can't be..."

"Wha'? Ya can't tell me that it ain't," Daryl staggered over to her, a little bit agitated. Maybe he hadn't forgotten his anger with her yet. "It would'a been the kid or him. Makes sense that it's him. Thought ya would agree."

Daryl had a point, but Ace just wasn't able to fully catch on with him. She doesn't know why he thought she'd agree, but brushed it off. People shouldn't have to die, she thought. She just nodded and kept quiet.

Daryl sighed and eyed her a bit. "Gonna go lookin' again after the service, for the girl," he chewed on his cheek. Ace now looked up at him fully. "Ya comin' with?" Daryl asked. Ace was exhausted and every piece of her body was aching, but she still did not hesitate to nod yes. Daryl nodded back, considering her response for a moment. He huffed as he slung his crossbow onto his shoulder. "Get sick again and ya best believe I'll put an arrow in ya."

With that Daryl spun and headed off into the house where the other's were. Ace watched him, stuck in her place. She wasn't sure how serious that last comment was.


	19. Lies and The Liars

Ace wen't inside the farm house to explore her curiosities about it and catch how Carl was doing. With all the commotion going on, no one noticed her presence. But Ace had noticed something more important. Her eyes immediately found something she wasn't expecting. Medical supplies. And lots of it.

And as she lingered behind the group, eavesdropping into their conversation about what had happened, knew information came to light that made Ace's head nearly implode. Hershel was some sort of doctor. Not only that, but he had performed _surgery_ on Carl.

Ace had to take a few steps back, her head spinning. She wasn't expecting this.

Hershel was a doctor. And whatever kind, he was well enough to perform a high risk surgery on Carl in the middle of the end of the world.

Ace needed medical help. Ace needed surgery.

Jenner had told her to find somewhere to settle down. Somewhere to _try_ at treatment.

Ace wanted to scream. It was like some divine intervention that she ended up with this group, all who ended up here. But also it was beating on her head like a wrecking ball. All signs were pointing her to stay and gain health, but her heart told her to look for Frankie. If Ace stayed, she would have to give up on that.

And Ace didn't know if she could give up on Frankie, no matter the odds. Nor did she know if she could face trying to treat her cancer. It could ultimately make her weaker, even kill her if it didn't go right. If she tried it, she could be killing herself. Or at the very least, delay her from finding Frankie for a long, long time. And who knows if these people would even be willing to assist her or to let her stay here. Who knows if the group is willing to let her stay, they all seem pretty fed up with her. She's the odd man out.

And at the viewing, Ace felt even more out of place. But at least this time she doesn't think she's the only one.

No one knew Otis here, and barely even knew the people who mourned him. But it was out of respect that they all came, even if it left them awkwardly standing by.

Ace stood at the end of the circle, silently looking down as Hershel read from a bible. It was almost ridiculous, preaching God at this point. But maybe she shouldn't judge, for this situation was all too unreal.

Every now and then when Ace would glance up, she'd make eye contact with Daryl who stood across from her on the opposite side of the pile of stones. Whenever she did it was as he was reading was she was thinking, being able to see the words scroll across her eyes. She looked _stressed_. But other than that he seemed very bored and uninterested, flicking his head to the side to swat off the fly that landed on him.

Ace knew Daryl would probably be the only other one who would be curious about Shane. He was the only one who wasn't obsessed with something dramatic, if you didn't count his constant questions for Ace. And he's smart.

But it was hard not to notice. The whole time Hershel spoke about Otis, Shane could barely keep still. He was shifting on his feet and darting his eyes around. His face was scrunched, almost looking in pain as guilt creased his forehead. And he just gave off a weird vibe.

It's like Ace and Daryl, in their quick glances, were communicating, both asking each other what went down with Shane and Otis?

It wasn't until the woman, who Ace found out was named Patricia, asked Shane to speak for Otis, that Ace put the pieces together. Patricia was Otis' wife and as she wiped her nose with a tissue, she pleaded for Shane to share her husbands last moments. He jumped when they called his name, snapping out of his own head that he was lost in. His eyes seemed far away, living in a thought.

"You were with him in his last moments," Patricia cried, her voice thick. "Will you speak for him?"

Shane could barely keep eye contact with her for more than a few seconds. He was too guilty to. But Ace couldn't keep her eyes off him. She was trying to finish the puzzle of what happened, thinking real hard about it. "I'm... I'm not good at it," he mumbled, barely audible. "I'm sorry."

"Please, I need to hear... I need to know his death had meaning," she pleading. A pained sadness rushed over the group.

Shane opened his mouth, having trouble getting anything out. He kept glancing down at his feet, his hands begging to hold onto something, like he wanted his shotgun so he didn't feel so defenseless. "We were about done..." He struggled, pushing out a breath. "Down to pistols, almost out of ammo by then.. I was limpin', it was getting real bad, my ankle all swollen.."

Ace sucked in a breath at his sudden story. His face was out of it, thinking real hard. His eyes barely twitched, but he never made eye contact with anyone.

"We've got to save the boy. See, that's what he said," Shane's voice hardened, his face twitching. "He gave me his back pack and shoved me ahead. Run, he said. He said, I'll take the rear, I'll cover you. But when I looked back..." He trailed off, starting his limp toward the pile of stones. "If not for Otis I would have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl, too," Shane said, like he was convincing himself. "If any death ever had meaning, it was his." Shane placed the rock down, sitting it on top of the others. And when he did this, he looked right up and met Ace's intense look. It was at that moment he could see that she knew.

Everything about his story was too forced, too fast. He went right into it, trying to be convincing but only showing Ace how big his lie was. And even a deaf man could see he was lying. And a blind man could see how much it was changing him. The thought chilled Ace.

Shane never looked away from the eye contact. Not even as he stepped backwards, walking back into his spot. His eyes were cold, his face dark, and his look gave Ace a bad feeling. A really bad one at that.

Eventually the group started retreating, heading back to the house, Hershel's people following.

Ace stayed back, using this time alone to take one last rock from the wheel barrow to place on the pile for Otis. She kept her hand on it, thinking about what really happened and how his death was probably a lot less graceful than Hershel and his people believed. She wished death didn't have to happen so much like this, but that was ridiculous to even think in the world they're in now.

"Ya ain't believin' that story he cooked up, huh?"

Ace looked up, letting her hand fall back down to her side. She hadn't realized Daryl stayed back too, but wasn't that surprised. She shook her head no at him. She was getting used to his company.

"Look like ya got a theory," Daryl stated, his head nodding in her direction as he adjusted the strap of his crossbow on his shoulder. Ace looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, shrugging. "Well? Lemme hear it, I know it's in there. Can see you figurin' him out all over ya face so spit it out," he pointed at her face, spinning his finger around before letting it swing at his side again.

Ace glanced down at the memorial for Otis, feeling odd talking about it here. She already felt weird for being here in the first place.

She stepped away, glancing at Daryl and signaling him to follow her as she started to head slowly back to the house. He adjusted his crossbow again and caught up with her, walking at her side and only giving her quick glances as they went.

"He killed Otis," Ace said flat out.

Daryl glanced down at her. "That sure, aye?"

Ace was. She just nodded, looking in front of her. She thought to how little she knew of Shane, but how negatively his company rubbed her. There was something up with him. He was aggressive with her since the moment he spotted her, for no damn reason. Ace could only imagine that aggression when someone shot Carl, Shane obviously possessive over Rick's family.

Shane would have done it, especially with a guy like Otis who he probably thought deserved it.

Daryl knew that too. Shane's a hot-head and a mess of one at that. "Makes sense, I guess," Daryl shrugged. "Showed up with the dead guys gun, too."

Ace looked up to Daryl, unaware of this. "You think they actually got hit by walkers?" Ace asked him. She was deciding how bad this made Shane, for if it was all true, Ace definitely did _not_ want to leave with him.

Daryl looked down and met her eyes. "Dunno. Don't think it matters."

Ace agreed and looked away. "He's gonna cause problems this group ain't ready for," she said quietly after a few moments of walking in silence. This group is broken, Ace has said that before. But she also was speaking towards herself. It had been an option to leave with Shane, and now she was scared.

It was weird how she referred to the group as a group not including Daryl. Not because he was that much of an outsider, but because he was smarter than them. Here she was, bouncing ideas off Daryl. Conversing with him like they've been partner investigators or something. Ace didn't plan to talk to any of these people. And she sure as shit didn't plan to spend time with any of them. She doesn't know when that line was crossed, but she was slowly realizing it had been with Daryl. She doesn't know what did it. Maybe it was Merle. Maybe Sophia. She doesn't know. Neither of them do. While Shane rubbed her the wrong way, it seemed Daryl rubbed her the right way, as irritating and vulgar as he was.

Daryl was the one agreeing this time, nodding at her. They were arriving up to the house now and growing awkward without anything left to say.

"Gonna talk to Rick, then head out," Daryl mentioned, scratching his the back of his head.

Ace nodded, both of them coming to a stop. "I'll be ready."

"Alright," Daryl said, satisfied enough. He was fine with her comin' along, liked it better than the others really. She didn't talk as much, was a good tracker, and was a hell of a person to be stuck with in a horde of walkers. As long as she didn't puke on him again, he didn't care. And if she did, he'd keep her down until he got some answers.

"Meet ya out here," he said.

They both gave each other a nod and with that headed their separate ways, wondering what's in store for them.


	20. Plans Fall Through

Ace walked passed some of the group starting to set up camp under some nearby trees as she went to get her bag from the RV. She felt a little bad that she wasn't helping, especially when she made eye contact with Glenn and he sent a grin, but she knew she could be more helpful elsewhere. Like searching with Daryl.

She's not even sure if she has a tent or anywhere to sleep, for that matter.

As Ace gets closer to the RV, she sees Dale struggling to pull down the awning from the top and quickly jogs over to help. Ace grabs onto the other side and levels out the pull, allowing it to slide down easily.

Dale laughs as they stick the screws in to hold it in place. "Thanks, that's the first time I've tried doing that on my own. Used to having my wife on that side telling me I'm doing it wrong," he points to where Ace was, walking over to toss a tool into his bag.

"Your wife?" Ace asks, still holding on to the awning pole, not knowing he had one.

"Irma," Dale says, smiling, putting his hand on the RV. "She was the only reason we ever got this piece of junk."

Ace sent a small smile. "Did you travel a lot?" She asked, enjoying the simple conversation about normal things for once.

"We didn't get very far, but she loved riding around in this before she passed. It gave her some peace," Dale smiled at the RV. "Me, on the other hand, not so much."

Ace watched as Dale went to go sit on the picnic bench they brought over, letting his hands rest in between his lap. "She died before all this?" Ace asked, hoping it was okay that she did.

Dale nodded. "Kind of a blessing, don't you think?"

Ace nodded just as a reflex, even though she was taken aback by what he said. Death is a blessing? That's how you know the world's gone to shit. Was it supposed to be a blessing that Ace was dying of something other than a walker bite? "Are you feeling better?" Dale asks, catching Ace off guard with the new subject. She looked over to him confused on how he knows. "From earlier? With the walkers?" He clarified.

Ace remembered that she lied to him about feeling bad from them when he caught her in the RV and she quickly nodded, trying to not get caught. "Yeah. Uh, yeah," she smiled nervously. "It was just a lot."

Dale gave her this look, almost knowing, but just nodded, not saying anything. "Are you going out again with Daryl?"

"Yeah, just came to get my stuff," she signaled to the RV.

"Your bags on the table," Dale smiled. Ace nodded and spun on her feet, hurrying into the RV to escape what could have just been her getting busted by the all-knowing Dale. It was weird, how comfortable they were getting with each other. Ace needed to figure out what she was doing _soon_.

She let out a breath and walked over to grab her pack, making sure everything was in it before slinging it over her back. She was about to walk out, but something caught her eye. One of the cabinets on the upper wall was open, showing off the scattered pill bottles inside.

Ace could see Dale still sitting on the picnic table through the window, so she quickly went over and looked inside.

A lot of it was random stuff. Stuff not even in the apocalypse would someone use, or at least know what it is. But she did spot something. Ace stood up on her toes to reach into the cabinet to grab two bottles. The names were familiar and she quickly recognized them as something on the list Jenner gave her.

Ace looked one more time and found another bottle of pills she needed, getting her hopes up slightly. She knew the group wouldn't need these for anything and the label read _Irma Horvath,_ so she knew Dale wouldn't either. Ace quickly shut the cabinet and stuffed the pills in her bag when she heard footsteps outside in the dirt, not having time to think that she was stealing from Dale. Or _why_ she was stealing from Dale.

The footsteps shuffled up the steps to the RV and as Ace looked over, Daryl spun inside. "Ready?" He grumbled in his southern drawl. Dale must have told him she was in here.

Ace nodded and fixed her bag on her back, following after Daryl who was turning to walk back outside. The sun seemed hotter this time, making Ace's pale skin burn in its heat. What is worse than Georgia in the summer? Hell on Earth?

Before they could get far, Rick was getting their attention, dragging them over to the hood of Carol's car where Maggie, the farmer's daughter, came and laid out a map. Ace and Daryl went on opposite sides of the car, Daryl watching her slightly as she did. Rick started rolling out the map, putting stones on the edges to hold it down. "This is perfect, we can finally get this thing organized. We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams."

Ace looked down at the map, recognizing it as one of those the county hands out. It's got the elevation, terrain.. It really was perfect.

Ace glanced up at the doctor, Hershel, as he told Rick and Shane they weren't allowed to go lookin' today. With Rick haven gave so much blood and Shane's ankle from.. Well, from _whatever_ happened, they had to wait another day. "You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out," Hershel said.

Ace seconded that. The heat was really on her today. Hell, if Hershel knew about her bein' sick, he'd probably scold her too. Ace's stomach flipped at the reminder of her situation.

Ace glanced over to Daryl as he leaned towards the map. "Guess it's jus' me and Ace then," Daryl sighed with a shrug, pointing at a spot on the map. "Gonna head back over to the creek, make our way from there."

They shared a look before turning their heads to Shane. "We could still be useful. Drive up the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back."

Ace gave props to Shane, thankful he wasn't causing a mess about Sophia yet. She could see the way he huffed and puffed when the situation was brought up. Ace was just waiting for him to cause problems now.

"Tomorrow, then," Rick nodded. "We'll start doin this right."

It's not like they were doing it wrong. At least Ace and Daryl weren't.

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. We've got to start gun training them like we promised," Shane said, looking over to Rick from under his police cap. Why do they still wear that stuff?

Daryl propped his arm up on the windshield, leaning as he listened to them start to talk about guns. Hershel didn't want them on his land. Ace became skeptical. Things got tense between Rick and Shane, Shane disagreeing with Rick's manners to honor Hershel's wishes. He didn't like it and it started to get him going. Once again, Ace proved she was right about her assumptions of Shane.

"I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody's got to," Shane shifted, testing Rick. "What happens if we find her and she's bit?" Ace bit back on her tongue, wishing Shane would just keep his mouth shut. It's going to be the death of him if he doesn't. "I think we have to be clear on how we handle that." Shane looked around, like he was the all-knowing survivor. Everyone knew, just no one wanted it to happen. It's kind of like he does.

" _We're clear_ ," Ace stated silently, her tone almost snappy as she looked right into Shane's face. He looked back at her, trying to say something with his expression.

Rick looked at her, then Shane, then back to her, his eyes squinted. No one in the group had seen Shane and Ace interact yet. Not off to a great start.

"And her mother?" Hershel's daughter, Maggie, asked. "What do you tell her?"

"The truth," Andrea added from the side, like it was the most obvious thing.

Moving on from that, Ace looked away from Shane. And the rest of them cleared up the situation with the guns and the training, leaving the little meeting pretty much finished. Ace was too stressed out about her own shit to care about her gun being taken away.

Daryl tapped on the car in dismissal before pushing away, nodding to himself and walking around. He looked over to Ace and signaled her to follow with his head. She followed him until he let her catch up, taking a glance back at her. "Best 'ta let it be, with them," Daryl nodded back to where they just were. Ace crunched her eyebrows at him. "Shane's jus' a hot-head, got somethin' stuck up his ass about gettin' after Rick," Daryl said, shrugging and looking ahead to the tree line they walked too.

If Shane's the hothead, then what is Daryl, exactly? Rational?

Maybe. Ace kept getting surprised about how much he had figured out, too. She wasn't the only one. "He's causing problems," Ace said lowly, looking away now.

"Yeah.. I know," Daryl mumbled, almost to himself, starting to bite on his thumb. It was a nervous habit Ace was starting to pick up on.

"You're not worried he's gonna try somethin'?" Ace asked him, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at him. Daryl just looked at her for a second before going back to biting his thumb. He shrugged, now taking on the role as the quiet one. Ace didn't say anything again, not wanting to push any further. If she pushed Daryl too much, he would probably just push her right back. Instead, they both started walking again, heading into the woods and forgetting about what just went on.

"Hey!" Shane called.

Both Daryl and Ace turned, an unwanted surprise running after them. Shane stopped at Ace, looking at her. "Can I talk to you for a second?" Shane was harsh, making Ace's jaw clench. Definitely wasn't looking to talk about flowers and puppies. Shane then looked to Daryl, silently asking him to let them be. Daryl looked between the two, squinting. Trying to figure out if Shane was going to try something. Shane's eyes were aggressive as he waited for the redneck to step back.

"Be by the house," Daryl huffed, giving in but not excited about it, spinning on his feet to continue walking away. Ace watched his back get further away as he walked, swinging his arm at his side. She was trying to avoid acknowledging Shane, for she didn't know what he could want after she snapped at him by the car. He made her nervous.

"Look," Shane shifted on his feet, using a hand to pull off his hat so he could run his hand over his head. Ace now looked at him, crossing her arms. "I didn't mean to get you upset back there, just trying to say what needs to be said-"

"It didn't need to be said," Ace looked in his eyes, getting him to stop.

Shane looked at her, squeezing his hat in his hands before sighing and leaning back on his feet. "It does-"

"Ya just putting people on edge," Ace mumbled. "These people may not be the most level-headed, but they still ain't dumb. They know what they're doing." Ace almost shocked herself at her words. She wasn't sure where it came from. All of the sudden she was defending the group?

Shane sighed, just looking at her. His face didn't seem to leave it's angry, worked up look. "You still planing on leavin?" Shane changed the subject, making Ace's face fall. She didn't know what to say. She hasn't had a minute to herself all day to think everything through.

Shane studied her. He was planning to leave now more than ever. Didn't waste a drip of sweat over if Ace wanted to come or not, but he was looking to gear up a plan. The only thing holding him back from going right now was Sophia. "If we don't find that little girl-"

"We will," Ace snapped her head up, looking into his eyes, stopping him from going on.

"And how do you know that? How do you know she isn't long gone by now?" Shane shifted his feet, putting a hand on his belt as his eyebrow raised for an answer. It was almost a cocky move, but Ace saw through him.

"Because I know about Otis," Ace seethed, her eyes going through Shane's easily. He was caught off-guard, but was aware all along Ace could have figured it out. He didn't speak, just looked at her with dark, eerie eyes. " _Sophia's close_." With that Ace ended the conversation, turning and following in the direction Daryl had gone.

Ace knows she probably should have thought what she said through, but she wasn't afraid of Shane. He wouldn't hurt her, at least not yet. He wouldn't waste his efforts on her, he could care less about her.

As Ace walked up to the house, Daryl leaning on the staircase railing, her mind wanted to explode. When Daryl heard her coming, he pushed himself up and met her half way. They both exchanged a look before immediately starting on their way, not saying a word.

But, yet again, they didn't get very far without Rick calling for their attention. Daryl sighed in annoyance. Can't anybody just let him be?

"Daryl," Rick's voice carried, getting them both to turn around. "You okay on your own?"

Daryl squinted his eyes at him in front of the sun, one hand holding onto the strap of his crossbow. "Better on my own. Anyway, what ya think she's here for, huh?"

Ace felt like Rick either was ignoring her presence, or just had forgotten about it. Rick glanced to her and they shared a split moment of eye contact.

"Don't worry, we'll be back before dark," Daryl rolled his eyes, a little sarcasm in his voice as he started to turn back around.

"Hey," Rick called again, taking a few steps closer. He held his sheriffs hat by his knees. "We've got a base. We can get this search properly organized now."

Ace squinted her eyes at him, Daryl probably doing the same. You gotta point? Or are we just chattin'?" Daryl snapped. He was tired of being annoyed and just wanted to get on already.

"My point," Rick looked to Ace. "It lets you off the hook. You don't _owe_ us anything. Neither of you."

Daryl's almost rolled his eyes as he re-gripped his crossbow, turning around to end the ridiculous conversation. "My other plans fell through."

Ace and Rick held eye contact for a moment longer before she, too, turned and went to catch up with Daryl. She dragged her feet as she did.

It was wrong for Rick to think that they are doing this for _him_ , or anybody besides Carol, as awful as she is to Ace. But in reality, the were both doing it for themselves. 


	21. Dead Flowers And Weeds

Ace and Daryl made their way through the woods, stepping over fallen branches and sifting quietly through the trees. Neither had said a word yet, for Daryl didn't like to talk when tracking. It was damn annoying. He still gets fed up just thinking back to when Merle would be talkin' up his ass the whole way back at home, scaring away the game and everything.

Ace noticed it was best she didn't say anything, not like she was planning to anyway, but more so because she didn't want Daryl to crack on her. He already wasn't too happy with her and would probably rip her a new one right now if she made the wrong move. She wanted to avoid any more of that today.

She was just glad he wasn't asking her questions.

Ace focused on keeping quiet and looking for Sophia. The heat was really starting to get to her, though. It's probably because all of her meds, but as she looked at Daryl, he was shinny from sweat, too. It didn't seem to bother him.

Ace wiped at her forehead, feeling the heat. She thinks it was starting to slow her down, but it seemed to her like she was keeping up with Daryl the whole time. Eventually, they brushed past a few branches and a wide clearing could be seen, a small house in the field. Daryl and Ace looked at each other before pushing through and heading over. Sophia could be in there.

Ace quickly signaled to him to show him she was going to go check the perimeter, to which he nodded and went to the door. Ace walked around the house, her knife tight in her hand. There was mostly just a bunch of dead flowers and weeds, but everything else looked good. No sign of struggle to be seen anywhere and no evidence that people were in there.

Ace went to the door, heading in and looking around. She heard the floor board creak from Daryl's steps further in the house and she went in the opposite direction to look around. She wiped the sweat off her face once more before having her knife ready again, spotting something across the room. There was a cabinet door slightly agar, suspicious in her eyes.

Ace slowly tip-toed over, grabbing on to the handle to not spook anything. Hoping it wasn't anything bad, she counted to three and yanked the door open, ready to pounce with her knife. She let out a breath when nothing was there to hurt her and lowered her knife as she looked inside. Down at the bottom under one of the tall shelves there was a pillow and a blanket.

"Hey!" Ace quickly called, hearing Daryl's footsteps hurry over. He came to her side, about to ask what, until he followed her gaze to the bottom. "Looks little girl sized."

Daryl grunted in agreement, backing up to start looking around. He found a small can of sardines, picking it up and smelling it before turning it upside down so the liquid poured out. "This is fresh.."

Daryl and Ace shared one more look before they were both running out of the door, calling Sophia's name.

"Sophia!" Daryl's voice was raspy, not carrying very far. Ace ran around to the other side of the house, calling out there too. She listened and not a sound came back. Daryl even stopped yelling. She bowed her head a bit, walking back around to the front.

Ace spotted Daryl crouched down across from the house, using his crossbow as support. His attention was placed in front of a patch of overgrown flowers. Ace slowly walked up next to him, staying a little back to his side to not disturb him. He looked at them for a moment before snatching some and standing up, shoving them through a hole in his crossbow.

Ace was kind of confused by why a guy like Daryl Dixon would want a bunch of flowers, but was even more caught off guard by him speaking to her. "Ya gonna tell me what's wrong with ya now?" He asked normally, not looking at her.

Ace was stuck, not knowing what to say. And she was exhausted. She hadn't come up with any answers today, so she had nothing to share yet. She studied the side of his face, trying to gauge how far he would let her off. "What if I say no?" Ace tried.

Daryl now turned to look at her, meeting her eyes with a rough gaze. "Tough shit."

Ace paused, but then couldn't help herself as she snorted a laugh, looking away. She really was in tough shit, wasn't she?

Daryl was a little taken aback.

"M'serious," his shoulders moved back as he shifted on his feet. "Ya slowin' down out there. So unless ya wan't me telling Deputy Rick and Shane over there that ya slowin' me down cause ya _sick,_ you better start chosin' your words a lot more carefully."

Ace's laughter immediately stopped, catching in her throat. She watched Daryl, this time being the one that was taken aback. She couldn't get a thought out before Daryl looked at her once and then started pushing past the tall grass to head back. She was really, really in tough shit now. Him telling Rick and Shane is exactly what she didn't want. And he knew that.

Would he actually do that? Or are these just empty threats?

Does Ace want to find out?


	22. An Arrow In The Heart

On the way back, Daryl and Ace were quiet again. Not saying another word to each other after Daryl's ultimatum was left hanging in the air. But he was walking faster this time, much faster, making Ace have to work to keep up with him under all this heat and dizziness. He was trying to prove his point.

She got it.

Ace wouldn't dare tell him to slow down though, that's what he wants. She's not giving into that so easily.

Once they got back, Ace was absolutely exhausted. She tried not to show it as she passed everyone, but she couldn't stand another second in this sun. Her and Daryl shared one last look before they went in separate directions, but this one wasn't one of mutual understanding, more of a squinty-eyed _watch out_ one.

Ace hurried into the RV after that, getting a wave from Dale before she walked inside and let out a breath as she slumped onto the bench. She rubbed at her back absentmindedly before pulling off her bag and slinging it behind her. It was now that she noticed Carol sitting in the back bedroom, looking up at her. They held each others gaze for a while, not saying anything until the sound of someone walking in the RV got them to look away. Ace looked down to her lap, Carol going back to her knitting.

Ace felt the presence of someone so she looked up, surprised to see Daryl. He didn't look at her as he walked back towards Carol, holding what looked to be a beer bottle he must have found in his tent or something.

Not wanting to seem like she was awkwardly listening in on their conversation or trying to intrude, Ace pulled some water out of her bag and started to head out of the RV. She really just wanted one god damn minute alone to think.

Ace got to the top of the steps when she heard Daryl's voice, getting her to linger at the doorway, listening anyway.

"For a second I thought I was in the wrong place," Daryl said lightly, getting Ace to notice how much cleaner the RV looked since she last was in it. Carol was keeping herself busy and Daryl was being... Nice. Why was he such an ass to Ace all the time? Ace took one last glance before she was going to try to leave again, but then she saw a flower. No, not any flower. The flower Daryl had picked back at the cabin was sticking out of the beer bottle, making Ace freeze in her step.

"A flower?" Carol asked quietly.

"'S a Cherokee Rose," Daryl mumbled, pulling a piece of straw out of his mouth, rocking on his feet slightly. Ace found herself stuck, watching him as he started to speak. "The story is that when American soldiers were movin' Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grievin n' cryin' so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way. From exposure... Disease.. N' starvation.."

Ace's hand fell to her side while the other gripped onto the door handle, completely absorbed into what Daryl was saying.

"A lot of them just disappeared," Daryl breathed, his head darting around before he looked to Carol. "So the elders, they said a prayer. Askin' for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits... give 'em strength and hope. Next day, this rose started to grow right where the mothers' tears fell."

Ace felt something inside her twist, something she hadn't felt in a while.

"I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin' for my brother," Daryl shook his head, making Ace suck in a breath. "But, uh... I believe this one bloomed for your little girl."

Ace felt sadness pit in the bottom of her stomach, but before she let herself notice it, Daryl had turned around to leave and was making shy eye contact with her. His eyes were an extremely bright blue, now that she gave herself the moment to notice. As he walked by her, seeming to know Ace was listening, he nodded his head, indicating her to follow him.

Ace took one last glance at Carol who was wiping tears from her eyes, before walking down the steps and out into the sun after Daryl's back. She wasn't sure what he wanted as he led her through the maze of tents and she was too bombarded with irrational, emotional thoughts to think what it was, either. If he yelled at her again, she might hit him.

Ace came to a halt when Daryl's back stopped by a tent she assumed was his. He pushed open the flap, stepping inside momentarily before coming back out with something in his hand. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking at him before standing in front of Ace.

"Didn't forget about yer sister," Daryl said, holding out his hand.

Ace looked down, largely taken aback by the extra, white-petaled flower that was enclosed in his fist. She felt like he took one of his crossbow bolts and jammed it into her heart, which might have been more bearable than what the alternative actually was.

Daryl didn't say anything else to her before he turned and walked away. He didn't want to see her reaction, fearful what he did was stupid.

Ace felt dizzy again. Daryl yells at her and then turns around a moment later and does something kind. She literally could not keep up with him. This entire day has been back and forth with Daryl, adding to her light headed state. She could make no sense of it, on top of everything else. She figured Daryl was pissed off at her all the time. That they were on edge, making her think she should leave. But this is who Daryl Dixon is, isn't it?

The white petals were bright against Ace's dirt-covered skin, standing out beautifully. It touched her, making her feel vulnerable. She started to feel guilty again for not looking for Frankie and for Sophia.

In an instant, Ace snapped her head up. "Wait." Ace followed after Daryl, stopping a few feet back from him. "You think I should stay?"

Ace was genuinely curious for his opinion. Although he didn't know of her cancer, he knew of her conflict with finding her sister. This flower proved it. She needed some sort of input on what the hell she should do. She didn't think about why she was asking Daryl for it. She normally never looked for help.

Daryl turned half way to face her, glancing up for a moment, his face scrunched in confusion.

"Do you think I should stay?" Ace asked again, her voice quiet now. "Think there's even a chance she's out there?" Ace signaled to the flower sadly, referring to her sister.

Daryl was hesitant, avoiding eye contact for a bit as her bright eyes burned into his. He didn't have an answer for her. Hell, he wasn't even sure why she was askin' him. "Don't know."

Silence swallowed them after Daryl spoke, his voice quiet, but truthful. Ace searched his face for something more, but knew he was right. There was no answer. There was no way to be sure of anything anymore.

Ace nodded, looking down from him. "Let me come with you lookin' again," was all she could manage. She just wanted to find Sophia more than anything now. Maybe that would clear things up for her, give her some sense of hope.

"Uh-huh, no way. I told ya-"

"Please," Ace looked up to Daryl's eyes. He hesitated, her look and those eyes having an effect over him. He scoffed. " _Please_." Ace tried again, her eyes burying their way into his head.

"Fine," Daryl pointed a finger in her face. "But no funny business. We leave in the morning."

Ace silently nodded, Daryl barely catching it before he stalked off, a little annoyed that she convinced him so easily. And a little annoyed that he let her.

Ace followed his back with her eyes for a moment before looking back down to the flower laying in her hand. She couldn't wrap her head around it or around Daryl, it was all so much.

She just knew she had to make a decision. Soon.


	23. A Simple Break

After having heard that Carl was awake, Ace decided she'd go and visit him. Spending time with someone who didn't confuse the hell out of her seemed like a nice release from her crazy day. And at least hanging out with Carl was a lot easier than the rest of these people. Plus, Ace really wanted to get out of the heat and away from everyone.

Ace pushed open the screen door, letting it squeak closed behind her as she stepped into the house. This was the second time she had been in here, and it was still completely bizarre to be inside a house again. And this wasn't just any house. Well, at least it wasn't anything like Ace's old house. It was much bigger and much, much fancier. The interior was old-fashioned, made of wood painted in white. There were even paintings scattering the walls.

As she stood there, she was confused on which way to go. In front of her there was a staircase leading upstairs and a small hallway on each side. To the right she could see the open doorway to the kitchen and a dinning room with a really expensive looking wooden table in it. To her left, she saw a couple of rooms down the hall and what seemed to be a living room.

"Hey," Ace heard a voice next to her, getting Ace to spin to her right. It was the young, blonde girl she met at Otis' service, one of Hershel's daughters. Ace could not remember her name for the life of her. "Lookin' for someone?"

Ace was a little caught off-guard and wanted to apologize for coming into her house unannounced, but just nodded. "Carl," Ace said lightly, getting the young girl to nod and smile.

"Follow me," she said sweetly, her hands in the pockets of her jeans as she walked, her cowboy boots clanking against the hardwood floor as she walked.

Ace followed, having a quick moment of panic if she was tracking mud into their house, but sighed in relief when she looked down to see nothing coming off of her. The girl led Ace to the left and into one of the rooms that had the door open, Carl sitting up in bed with Rick's sheriff hat on his head.

The girl turned and gave a shy smile. "I'm Beth, by the way."

Ace nodded, trying to store her name in her brain for next time. "Ace."

Beth smiled again, backing up to leave Ace. "Cool, I'll see you around."

Ace watched as she left her, sort of shocked at how kind Beth was. Not a lot of people as sweet and innocent as her left in this world anymore. She almost wished she said more to her, but that was just preposterous for someone like Ace. With a sigh, Ace turned and knocked on the open door to Carl's room, hoping he'd want to see her. His head shot up, pushing the hat out of his eyes to look over at the doorway. Ace felt nervous, which was completely stupid.

"Hey," Carl said, a slight smile on his face as he pushed himself up in bed. He didn't have a shirt on so Ace could see the large bandage on his stomach from where he got shot. She tried not to think about it.

"Hey," Ace smiled slightly back, stepping into the room.

"What's up?" Carl asked excitedly.

"How are you feelin'?" Ace asked.

"Good," Carl said, poking at his bandage. "Just worried about Sophia."

Ace felt her face drop, but quickly tried to shake it off. She can't let Carl see that, she doesn't want to upset him. Ace cleared her throat, wanting to change the subject. "Well," she said, reaching into her back pocket. "Being stuck in here, I figured you might need a cure for somethin' much worse than that gun shot."

Carl's face scrunched as he looked at her, almost worriedly, but when Ace pulled out a deck of cards to show him, his eyes widened slightly.

"Boredom, obviously," Ace sent a smile back.

"Sweet," Carl smiled, snorting a happy laugh. Carl sat up and faced the side, starting to pull the bedside table closer to the bed. Ace hurried over to help him, not wanting him to hurt his healing wound, and got the game-table set up. She grabbed a chair from the other side of the room and brought it over, putting it on the opposite side of the table to sit down so they were facing each other.

"We can't play Go-Fish without Sophia," Carl said, the happy atmosphere slightly falling. Ace felt a twinge in her chest, but refused to feel that. For once, she actually was goin' to try to have a good time with a person. Both her and Carl needed it.

"I actually was thinkin' I could teach you a new game, one I'm really good at," Ace said deviously. 

Carl's eyes lit up at the challenge like Ace knew they would. "I can so beat you."

"Oh, but I'm really good," she bit back her smile.

"I'll bet you that I will win," Carl put his dad's hat back on.

"Fine. It's a bet." Ace started to open up the deck of cards and shuffle. "What do I get _when_ I win?"

"The winner gets a cookie," Carl looked at her, raising his eyebrows in a tempting way. Ace squinted her eyes at him not sure where he wanted to get a cookie from. "I saw Beth eating one last night. They have some in the kitchen, but my mom said that I wasn't allowed to ask for one."

Ace debated his offer, not sure if it was a good idea to take a cookie from people she didn't know, but she couldn't say no to Carl. It definitely was a good bet. Ace reach her hand out for Carl, a small grin on both their faces as they shook on it.

Ace knows she has already won, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter I guess! I wanted to develop a bit more of a relationship with Carl :)


	24. In The Dead of The Night

Ace had the lead for most of the game. That was until Carl started asking for best two out of three, and then best five out of six, and so on. It was then that Carl started to pick up skill and beat Ace in her own game.

"Ha!" Carl called, laying his winning cards down on the table. That was it. That was best 19 out of 20, or whatever number of games they were on. They had declared the winner of this one finally, _finally_ won it all.

Ace groaned, throwing her cards on the table. "I've never lost at that before, you must've cheated or somethin'," she teased.

"You wish," Carl smiled. "I won fair and square, you know what that means?"

"Best 20 out of 21?" Ace asked hopefully.

"Nope! You have to get me cookies," Carl crossed his arms. Ace tried to give him a tough look, but ended up laughing quietly to herself.

She held her hands up in the air. "Fine. A deal is a deal."

Carl laughed, fixing the hat on his head. The sound of the door being pushed open behind Ace caught both of their attentions. Ace quickly spun around, something going off in her head that made her place her hand on her weapon at her side. She has had her guard down for too long.

When she saw it was just Rick at the door, she let out a breath. "What's going on in here?" Rick asked, a small smile perking up at his lips towards Carl.

"Ace taught me a new game," Carl said, sitting back further on the bed. "I won," he smiled.

Rick breathed out a forced laugh as he walked over, one hand on the holster on his hip. "One of these days I'll have to teach you how to play poker and we'll see who's a sore winner then," Rick raised his eyebrows at Carl, getting him to chuckle. Ace smiled quietly to herself. "But for now you need to eat and get some rest. Hershel says you might get out of this bed tomorrow," Rick said and Carl sighed, the fun over. Ace started to pick up the cards and stand from her seat. She could tell she had been sitting for a while based on how weak her legs and back felt.

"Can we play again tomorrow?" Carl asked, looking up at Ace.

Ace smiled and nodded, glad he enjoyed himself as much as she did. "Sure."

When Ace looked up, Rick met her eyes and signaled for her to follow him out of the room.

"Ace," Carl called as she was about to leave, getting her to turn around, waiting for what he was going to say. He kept it simple. "Good game."

Ace again smiled. "You too."

She turned and walked out after Rick who led her down the hall a bit before stopping and facing her. "Thanks for keepin him entertained, he could really use a friend right now," Rick said, putting his hands on his hips.

Ace nodded, sending an awkwardly forced smile. She wasn't really sure what to say. It was no sweat off her back.

"How's the search for Sophia? Daryl mentioned you guys found a cabin," Rick now moved on, the creases around his eyes growing.

"Sophia was definitely hold up there," Ace said, trying to keep eye contact with Rick's intense blue eyes. "We're goin' back out tomorrow, probably back by the creek to see if we can track her," she said, getting Rick to nod.

"Good, good," Rick nodded, taking it all in while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just let someone know before you guys leave in the mornin."

Ace nodded barely fast enough for Rick to catch it before he was walking off, back to go see Carl. Ace let out a breath, her head all over the place as she looked around the dark, empty hall. She noticed how late it had gotten and felt how empty her stomach was. After a day of puking, she really had nothing in her system. As much as she didn't want to risk eating, she knew it would probably be smart to try. So she managed to find her way out of the house and down the porch steps in the dark.

It was almost pitch black outside, the heat starting to go away. The air was still dry, but there was almost a subtle coolness to it. Across the field, she could see a few lanterns illuminating the night sky and the lights from the RV shining over the tents that had been all set up. Ace could see a few bodies moving around in the RV and decided to head over there to see if there was any dinner available for her to eat. Or to _try_ to eat.

She quietly walked over and passed the tents that most likely had some sleeping occupants, doing her best to not to wake anyone up. She was well aware of how quiet her footsteps were, so she wasn't too worried about it. When she got to the RV, she stopped to notice no one was on watch before she went up the steps and pulled the door open, allowing the bright light to swarm out. She walked inside to be greeted by Dale, Andrea, and Carol sitting at the table eating.

"Ace!" Dale smiled wide when he saw Ace, seeming to be having a good night. Dale was happy that they are safe to enjoy each others company on this new safe-haven they have found. If that's what it even is. Ace gave a small smile back, tryin to avoid the gaze Carol had on her. "It's canned food for dinner this evening," Dale announced, standing up to go grab her some ravioli. "Once we finish getting the mini-grill set up tomorrow, I'll be able to cook up some mean squirrel," he smiled, getting Andrea to snort a laugh. It seemed all was better with them.

"I'll pretend it's a steak," Ace said lightly, taking the can and fork from Dale with a forced smile before he sat back down.

"I usually go for a hamburger," Andrea said, patting her stomach. Ace looked over, chuckling slightly, but letting her smile halter as she met Carol's eyes.

"I'm gonna go up, take watch," Ace said quietly, signaling to the roof.

"Are you sure?" Dale asked, his eyes looking concerned. "We have an open seat."

Ace sent him a small smile, she liked Dale. "I'm okay, thank you," she convinced before quietly sliding out of the RV and back into the darkness. She let out a huff before walking over to the ladder in the back and using her free hand to climb up.

She walked over to the small folding chair that was propped up next to an umbrella and sat down, putting her can of dinner in her lap. She really didn't mind taking watch. In fact, she preferred it. She had _a lot_ to think about tonight, and craved alone time. Plus, if her body didn't accept dinner well, she didn't want to have to run out on all those people and have them start asking questions.

Ace sighed, sticking her feet out in front of her as she popped open her can of food and ran her eyes over their camp site. In the back of her head, she couldn't help but wonder where Daryl was, feeling uneasy not knowing. She tried to ignore it and looked out towards the gate.

As Ace slowly chewed on a piece of cold ravioli, her mind wandered.

She spent time with Carl today because the presence of a kid eased the ache of missing Frankie. But now that she was alone, it all came back. Everything from today came rushing back.

Ace had to make a decision.

Leaving with Shane did not seem like a good option anymore, not after he killed his traveling companion, Otis. If Ace grew weak from her cancer, he wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind, too. And frankly, Ace wasn't even sure Shane would go through with leaving. She saw the way he pined for Lori. It was obsessive, _possessive_. He didn't want Rick to win, didn't think Rick could.

It was this drama that made Ace fear of staying here. It seemed they were beginning to hunker down on this farm, set up stakes. While Carl healed and they searched for Sophia, they'd probably be here for a while. And it didn't really seem like the group cared about getting to Fort Benning, they really just wanted a place to settle down at.

That left Ace with the mind numbing, heart splitting decision. She either had to go off on her own, or what? Give up on Frankie?

It made Ace shatter from the inside out. That was her family. The only thing Ace has ever had. Ace would turn this entire planet upside down to get to her, to keep her safe. But Ace was breaking more and more each day. After witnessing the events of Carl and Sophia, she was losing the hope. Frankie was half their age. If something went down and biters got to her, Ace realized there wouldn't even be a corpse to find. Frankie was so small the biters could consume her whole.

Ace almost dropped her dinner.

She sat up, quickly banishing the thought from her head at how quickly it made vomit rise up her throat.

No. That wasn't an option.

Now Ace had to be logical. She could go off on her own and search for her, but maybe in another 45 days she would be too weak to go on. If Ace kept taking her medicine, then she would be at risk of falling ill anytime, potentially stopping her from making progress. If she had an episode like she did with Daryl earlier, biters could instantly put her down.

And Ace was presented with a farm. It seemed safe and it had a _doctor_. She literally had been handed a saving grace, but still she revolted it. Treating her cancer would take a long time. And she had not the slightest idea if it would even work. Hell, it was so risky it could kill her, too. And on the slim, slim chance she was able to skate by this curse, she would have to heal.

Frankie could be long gone by then.

And she'd still have to find a hospital to get supplies. That could kill her, too.

Not to mention this group of people. God only knows how they would react. Do they even want her to stay?

Ace wanted to scream.

Ace looked down to her hands, now much too nauseous to take another bite.

It was when she heard someone climbing and clanking against the RV steps that her internal anguish paused. Ace glanced behind her shoulder and watched as Dale came over, setting up another small chair next to her. He sighed as he plopped down in it. He didn't fail to notice the mostly full can of dinner she had put down as he did.

Dale didn't look at her at first, just looked over the fields in front of them, sitting in silence. Ace looked at him with confusion, wondering what he wanted, but soon gave up. If he was going to sit here in silence with her, Ace wouldn't mind. Nor did she have anything to say, so she too went back to watch quietly.

That is until Dale spoke.

"You know, when you asked about my wife, you never asked _how_ she died," Dale spoke calmly, like he was telling a story. Ace glanced over at him. Maybe a story would be nice to get her head to calm the hell down, so she waited for him to continue.

"Cancer," he said simply, turning his head to now meet Ace's eyes. Ace's breath got stuck in her throat at the word, _the disease_ that was tearing her apart, and she felt her heart beat as she looked at Dale. The same thing that just was eating her up as she tried to make a decision.

Dale gave her _that_ look. That same look he's given these people many times. The one that made Ace think _he knows._

But he couldn't.

"I watched her go through it," Dale said, looking back away. "And I dragged her to every doctor, every facility, _anything_ that said they could help her."

Ace watched him, her heart thumping in her chest. She watched how his hands moved when he talked, especially when he was trying to make a point. But what was it?

"But most of all," Dale shook his head, looking back over to Ace. "I made sure she got her medicine. As much as she hated it, I was always there. Bringing her more pills and more drugs than she could imagine." He got lost in his memory for a moment, smiling slightly at Ace. He wasn't being threatening or accusatory, he was just being Dale.

He reached over to placed his hand over top of Ace's on the arm rest, leaning closer to look into her eyes. Ace was on the verge of her heart beating itself to death. She wasn't sure what Dale was getting at. "I still kept all of her medicine after she passed. I don't know why, I just did. But I had it for so long that I came to know when one had moved, or if some were just plain _missing_."

Ace was frozen. Stuck, looking into Dale's all-knowing eyes. He knew. He really knew. Of course he would figure it out.

She initially wanted to run, to jump off the RV. But deep inside her she wanted to confide in Dale. She wanted his help, she wanted someone's help. She needed an opinion on what the hell she should do. She trusted Dale, apparently. He made her feel safe, like he wouldn't run around and freak out.

Oh god, he knows...

"Ace," Dale started, but Ace snapped herself out of it.

She pulled her hand from under his and sat up. Ace was nearly shaking as she slid to the edge of her chair, reaching down to grab her unfinished can of food. She had to leave, she just had to... She didn't know what to do.

"At the CDC," Dale sat up too, stopping her. "I saw you talking to Jenner."

Ace stopped moving, freezing again to listen to Dale. She gulped.

"An-And then when you got sick when you came back with Daryl. That's when I knew something wasn't right," Dale held his hands out towards her. "And earlier after we spoke, I noticed some of Irma's drugs were missing. And not just _any_ drugs," Dale stopped and was silent for a moment. Ace didn't move, afraid if she did the bomb would drop. "I'm not trying to-to threaten you or force you into telling me anything," Dale shook his hands out to emphasize he had good intentions."I just want you to be honest with me," Dale said truthfully, his eyes slightly widened as he watched Ace. "Ace... _Do you_ have cancer?"

Ace squeezed her eyes closed, her mind running so fast that she really didn't feel anything at all. She could only hear the sounds of the night, those crickets she once found peaceful, and the feel of Dale's gaze on her.

She turned slowly to face him, meeting his eyes. She knew she didn't even need to answer his question, but she did anyways. She had to.

"Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wohoo! This was fun. Finally Ace is confiding in someone about her cancer. And slowly but surely she is beginning to spend more time with the group! What y'all think?


	25. Pills In My Pocket

It was quiet.

There was a soft hum coming down below from the RV and the occasional flutter of a bug in the glowing night. The moon was at its highest point, illuminating Dale's face just enough for Ace to become lost in his expression.

Dale hadn't said anything, but Ace could see all the questions run through his eyes, and all the worrying in the way they bulged out. She could see his chest rise and fall in her peripheral vision and followed as he shook his head a bit.

Ace could feel her heart thumping in her chest, scared and uncertain. She had no play, no plan or way to adapt to this situation, for this was something she had never experienced before. She had never shared her cancer with anyone else, besides the doctors when she first got it. It was always her burden, her secret, and she never _ever_ had someone to help her. She never experienced that.

Dale was the one to break their eye contact, letting out a broken huff and leaning back in his chair. He had his hand on his chin, rubbing over his mouth as he looked out into the night. It was his soft, dry chuckle that caught Ace by surprise and cut through her silent trance. "I'm not sure what question to ask first," Dale shook his head, talking with his hands out.

Ace looked down, staying quiet. She wasn't sure either.

Dale glanced over at Ace again and felt like he was seeing her for the first time. He saw some bones that stuck out just a little too much, the paleness of her skin, the bags under her eyes, and even the fineness of her hair. They were things that someone probably wouldn't notice unless they knew what they were looking for. And Dale had seen it all before.

"How long?" He asked, looking at Ace with that worry that creased up his whole face.

Ace didn't look up, just toyed with her hands. "Had it before... before all of this," she looked up, signaling around her.

"Did they remove it?" Dale asked, sitting up, completely intrigued and waiting for every word Ace was going to say.

Ace nodded, meeting his eyes for a split second.

"Where?"

Ace couldn't form the words so she turned around in her seat, untucking her shirt. Dale took his glasses out of his shirt pocket and let them rest down his nose, scooting to the edge of his chair to see the scar that Ace showed on her lower back.

"I had a feelin' it came back," Ace said, looking out at the tents as she held up her shirt. "At the CDC.. Jenner confirmed it."

Dale was shocked out of words, placing his hand on Ace's for a moment to tell her he was done looking. He took his glasses off and put them back in his pocket as Ace turned back around to face him. He couldn't think of what to say for a moment, just looked at her with those eyes again. Ace was about to look away when he reached over and took one of her hands in his. He smiled, patting the top of it.

Ace glanced down and then back into his eyes, not sure of what she was feeling right now. She liked Dale, he was sweet and caring, but she barely knew him and vice versa. What is it that he could do or say to make this less of a curse? That would help her figure out what to do?

"There was nothing I could do for Irma.. I couldn't help her, it was too late," Dale said, only small amount of sadness in his voice. He had made peace... Peace that Ace just ruined for him and herself. "But Ace... You don't have to go through this on your own. Will you let me help you?"

Ace gulped, looking into Dale's eyes.

No one had ever said that to her, no one had truly offered her help. She's always been on her own, always dealt with her disease on her own. How does she accept help? How can anyone help her? Not even the doctors could because what they were supposed to fix came back.

"How?" Ace's voice was so quiet that it cracked, coming out weak and lost. That was almost realization enough that maybe, just maybe help is exactly what Ace needs.

Dale flashed a small, caring smile.

He was going to help her. And Ace was going to let him.

She had no choice.

\--

Usually Ace was an early riser, up before the first signs of dawn. But not today.

After the small chat last night, Dale had told her, or forced her, to go get some sleep while he stayed on watch. He let her take his spot in the passenger seat of the RV that had a lever to lean the top back. He first had tried to make her take the big bed in the back because she was 'sick', but she immediately refused. Ace did not need it and there was no way she was goin to tell Carol she either had to move over or move out. No way.

But after a day of pills, symptoms, and non-stop moving, the RV seat had sucked Ace in and she immediately passed out. For as sick as she was, she probably could have slept the whole day.

But Daryl wouldn't have that.

It was him pulling open the door to the RV Ace was leaning against that made her lose her head rest and jolt up, awakening in surprise. Through her fogginess, she reached to her side and grabbed her knife, immediately on guard and pointing it at what she thought was a threat.

Instead she was greeted with a pair of angry blue eyes and a scowl.

"Mornin' to ya, too, _Mouse_ ," Daryl sarcastically said, still using that dumb nickname. "Been tryin' to find ya all mornin' so could ya get that damn knife out of my face so we can get movin'."

"Stop callin' me that," Ace mumbled, still half asleep but awake enough to be irritated.

"Tough shit," Daryl repeated what he said to her yesterday.

Ace was too disoriented to fight back. Instead she let out a breath and put her knife down, leaning her head back against the seat, remembering she was going searchin' with Daryl today. She feels bad for sleeping in for so long, but she felt like she just woke up from the dead. Funny.

"Rick's callin' us over for a meetin' by the car," Daryl signaled over to the hood of Carol's Cherokee. Ace glanced over through the windshield to see people gathering around. "Up n' at 'em," Daryl grumbled loudly, hitting the top of the RV before stalking off to Rick.

Ace sighed and pushed herself up, feeling her back nearly scream at her as she did. She knew she had to take her pills again this morning and that just made her feel even worse.

She hopped out of the front of RV, reaching to grab her knife and put it in her waistband before shutting the side door and shuffling over to the entrance, going up the stairs.

Dale was inside, making a bunch of ruckus as he was digging through his cabinets and walking around. When he noticed Ace he smiled and pointed to the table across from him. "Breakfast," Ace followed his finger to see a glass of orange juice and a banana on the table. "I got it from Hershel."

Ace immediately looked to Dale, panic almost coming out of her.

"Don't worry I didn't say anything," Dale held his hands up in the air. "You just need a decent breakfast and shouldn't be taking any pills on an empty stomach."

Ace was surprised, her mouth forming an 'o' as she looked back to the breakfast Dale had kindly gotten for her. She felt guilty for having food wasted on her, especially having taken it from their host.

"I've been looking around, finding some of Irma's old pills," Dale mentioned, coming to sit down at the table across from Ace. She felt a pit form in her stomach, thinking about the pills and what they will do to her, and had to gulp it down with the orange juice. It tasted sweet but made Ace bitter as it reminded her of home.

Setting the glass down, Ace remembered something, and turned to grab her bag which was underneath the table. Dale watched her as she dug through her organized materials and grabbed the folder Jenner had given her, making Dale raise an eyebrow.

"Jenner gave me a list," she said quietly, just pulling out the messy list of weird names that he wrote her and slid it over to Dale. She put the rest back into her bag and started to pull out her pills. She felt the hopelessness come back up as she did. She had yet to decide what she was going to do, but knew there wasn't a chance Dale would let her off easy today.

Dale grabbed his glasses to put on and held up the list, reading it over and nodding as he did. After he scanned it, he got up and went to his cabinet, looking up on the top shelf and pulling some pill bottles down.

Ace watched as he did, drinking a little of the orange juice at a slow pace to not upset her stomach.

"Xeloda," he read, coming back over to hand it to Ace. She took it from him curiously and looked at the label as he spoke. "A very generic chemo drug that will help stop it from spreading, plus, side effects are pretty uncommon."

Ace nodded and popped the cap open. She recognized the pill inside and had to stop for a moment. All of her cancer memories came rushing back up to her, making her feel sick. She didn't want to go through this again, even with Dale's help.

Maybe she should just slip out. Run from all of this.

"Take one twice a day," Dale said, handing the list back to Ace and making her snap out of it. She started to swallow pills with her orange juice. "Are you going out with Daryl today?"

"Yeah," Ace nodded.

"Does he know?" Dale looked down at her and Ace froze, glancing back up at him for a moment. It was the look alone that told Dale the answer was no. Dale nodded slowly, eyeing Ace as he did. She could tell he had an opinion on it but thankfully he didn't say anything about it... yet. "Just make sure you drink a lot of water, alright?"

Ace finished taking all of the medication she had in front of her and nodded, glancing down to her hands shyly. Dale came over, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get through this."

Ace forced as convincing of a smile as she could before looking away and starting to put everything back in her bag, except for her knives that she put on her hip and her canteen of water for today. Her smile fell as soon as it came because not for a second did she believe Dale's words. And she was afraid to tell him she was still considering leaving.

"Don't forget your banana," Dale urged as Ace stood up, throwing the strap of her canteen over her shoulder. He could tell she was going to try to run out without it. Ace sent a shy smile and grabbed it before turning for the door.

She stopped at the top of the steps and turned back to Dale standing there in his Hawaiian button up and floppy sun hat. "Thank you," Ace said quietly. "For all of this."

One of Dale's caring smiles took over his face as he nodded. "Be careful out there."

Ace sent one last nod before breaking their eye contact and going down the RV steps, into the sunlight. She squinted her eyes as she went to her left, walking towards the dark figures of people by the same car they met at yesterday.

Ace walked through the campsite which was now completely set up. There were tents scattered around in a circle along with some lawn chairs surrounding the embers of a fire the group must of been eatin' at this morning. Carol and Lori were hanging up laundry on a line and Dale even set up that mini grill he was talkin' about.

She overheard Carol and Lori talking about 'laundry day' and Ace realized she must have missed that invitation. Ace diverted her attention when she came over to the small group at the car. She found herself searching to see where Daryl was at, but instead made eye contact with Shane first. He was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, facing her as she walked over.

They had a silent conversation with their eyes, one that made Ace feel even worse.

She pushed it off and walked around to the other side of the car, near Daryl. Subconsciously she kept putting herself near him.

"Ace," Rick acknowledged her, getting everyone to glance back, and completely catching Ace off-guard. She froze, shocked that he even noticed her. "Thanks for joinin' us," Rick said, actually seeming to welcome her. "I was just informin' everybody about setting up new search grids based on that house you and Daryl found yesterday."

Ace nodded, feeling uncomfortable under the gazes of everyone.

It was one of Hershel's people, Jimmy, that got everyone's attention off of Ace as he asked about helping.

"Nothin' about what they found screams Sophia to me," Shane announced as the conversation with Jimmy died down. Ace felt her jaw clench as she glanced to where Shane was sitting, except he wasn't looking or facing anyone else as he spoke. He just had to challenge it, didn't he? "Anybody could'a been hold up in that farm house."

"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea interjected.

"Well whoever slept in tha' cupboard was no bigger than yay high," Daryl held out his hand, being surprisingly calm for how hot headed he got when people were bein' stupid.

"Good lead," Andrea agreed.

Ace was glancing between them, but watched Daryl as he grabbed his flannel that hung off his crossbow and lifted up his arms to slide it on over his dirty tank top. It was so worn and dirty that the material had faded away, making it lighter and softer.

After being distracted by his movement, Rick brought Ace's attention back by asking if they might be able to pick up Sophia's trail again.

"Ain't no maybe about it," Daryl shrugged, scratching at his nose. "We gonna head back out, to the house."

Ace had an idea that she had been thinking about last night, but was hesitant to voice it. She didn't want to squeeze in where she wasn't welcome, but she knew this was about findin' Sophia, and she thinks her idea might help. She took a step forward, her hands holding tightly onto the banana Dale gave her. "I was thinking we could head up to a ridge," she interjected, getting everyone to stop and look at her again. Daryl spun to his side to watch her, barely having noticed her presence so close to him. He made room by the car.

Ace glanced at Daryl before coming closer and pointing to a spot across the map. Everyone watched. "Right here. Can get a birds eye view of the whole grid, maybe cut it in half again."

Daryl looked down at her, nodding slightly as the wheels in his head turned. "Alright, yeah. Can borrow a horse, head up there. If she's out there, we'll spot'er."

"Good idea," Rick nodded, looking to Ace.

Ace was just caught up on the horse aspect of it.

"Hey, maybe you'll see your Chupacabra up their too," T-dog joked, grabbing a gun from the bag Dale had just came over with. Ace hadn't even noticed him come up, but wanted to listen about the Chupacabra so she didn't let herself get distracted.

"Chupacabra?" Rick asked, his head tilting to the side.

"What, you never heard that?" Dale asked, his eyebrows raise. "First night in camp, Daryl tells us the whole thing reminds us of the time he went squirrel hunting and saw a Chupacabra."

Jimmy snorted.

"What ya brainin' at, jackass?" Daryl asks, squinting his eyes.

"So you believe in a blood sucking dog?" Rick stops Jimmy from responding, grabbing a gun from Dale.

Daryl leaned back, rubbing his face with the back of his hand. "You believe in dead people walkin' around?"

With that Daryl pretty much got everyone to drop it and Ace bit her cheek, backing away from the car as they moved on to different conversations. Dale looked over to her and made eye contact, signaling down to the banana in her hand, raising an eyebrow.

Ace gnawed on her cheek and huffed, starting to peel the banana and holding it up to Dale jokingly as she did. He smirked and turned away.

Ace started to peel the rest of it as she waited for Daryl, watching him grab his crossbow and toss it onto his shoulder. He turned and came over to her, looking down at the banana in her hand. She saw him looking and broke off the top half, handing it to him shyly.

Daryl glanced at it, then her, but didn't hesitate to take it from her and lean back to drop the whole piece in his mouth, wiping his hands on his shirt after. "Let's go," he said through a mouth full and indicated her to follow as he started off.

Ace rolled her eyes, breaking off a piece for herself and putting it in her mouth as she followed after. She was actually able to keep up with him easily this time, probably since her pills hadn't kicked in yet. But who knows, maybe today will be better?

They walked over to the barn that the horses were in, Daryl yanking the door and letting it swing open for Ace. It smelled like the usual barn, but it didn't phase Daryl or Ace. It's just shit, they've smelt worse lately. "They okay with you takin' one?" Ace asked as she went over to the nearest horse, reaching out to pet the top of its head. When it seemed to like her, she fed it the rest of her banana. Daryl looked over as he grabbed the saddle from the rack on the opposite side of the barn.

"I would'a ate that," Daryl grumbled as he walked over with the saddle in tow.

Ace smiled small as she rubbed the horse's head, tossing the peel into a trashcan across from the stable.

"I'm thinkin' you take a horse up the ridge and I'll circle around, see how high up I can get from the other side. Meet you in the middle," Ace said lowly, leaning against the stable as she watched Daryl get his saddle ready.

"Ya don't wanna take one?" He signaled up to the horse.

Ace shook her head. "Better on my feet."

Ace was much, much better on her feet and way more confident, too. She also had never ridden a horse before, figured now probably wasn't the best time to try it.

Daryl nodded in understanding. Ace watched as he went over to the side of the horse's stable, slinging the saddle onto it's back. He then walked back to the front, making kissy noises at the horse as he led it out.

"Wont be too far, call me over if ya see somethin'," Daryl stopped to say to Ace. She nodded. "Whistle if there's walkers," he added. Ain't no clue what could go down.

"Wha' if I see a Chupacabra?" Ace asked, almost afraid to push it, but dying to ask.

Daryl looked over, giving her a look but then loosening up and snorting. " _Let's go_ ," he ignored it sarcastically and started to lead the horse out of the barn.

Ace smirked and followed, barely ready for another day of this. If they didn't find Sophia today, Ace was going to lose her mind.


	26. Falling From Grace

The heat of the day was starting to arrive as Ace brushed her way through the forest.

It wasn't as bad as yesterday and the mostly shaded area helped make Ace content as she went around endless trees and fallen branches. The side effects of her medicine also hadn't seemed to have kicked in yet, so Ace was doing fine and enjoying her solitude in the woods. It was just like any day, except for the weapon she gripped in her hand and the constant look out for Sophia and walkers.

She felt much more content and capable now that she had time to go out on her own, especially knowing Daryl was near to have her back if things went wrong. She felt she did better on her own and she really needed the time to think, being around the group had its way of wearing on her. A little peace and quiet was needed.

Ace thought about the quiet and looked to her left through many trees to see if she could spot Daryl across the river bed. It was a very pretty piece of land, the forest not too thick nor too open. In between there was a small, open area where a river resided down below. It was a steep drop.

She could see the soft brown color of the horse weaving between trees far past the rocks as it went towards the same direction as her. They planned to scour the area and meet in the middle. So far Ace wasn't having any luck. It didn't seem he was either.

She took her attention back away from him to watch in front of her as she moved, looking for tracks, her ears perking up at any sound of a bird or small animal running around. She had spotted many squirrels and figured Daryl was probably having a field day with that over on his side.

She was just waiting to hear a crack of a twig or maybe even her name called that would let her know Sophia is out here. That's all she wanted to hear.

Ace did hear Daryl's whistle echo from across the quarry, getting her to snap her head over. Daryl had come far enough out of the trees that she could almost make him out completely, allowing her to see him signal with his hand and then point downwards.

Ace followed is finger with her eyes and had to search around to see what he wanted her to. There didn't seem to be anything until Ace spotted the small pink doll laying in the mud next to a fallen tree branch down near the water.

It was Sophia's doll.

Ace started quickly making her way over, still keeping her eyes peeled, but more focused on getting over to Daryl as he slid down off of his horse. The side of the quarry he was on had more of an opening for him to go down to retrieve the doll, so by the time Ace got over there he was climbing back up the hill and shaking the mud off it.

"This is hers," he said, holding it up before tucking it under his belt.

"Did you see any tracks?" Ace asked as he went back over to the horse.

"Nah, you?"

Ace shook her head, meeting Daryl's bright eyes for a moment as he scratched the top of his head. "Lets head up higher, call for her or somethin'," Daryl signaled in front of them, up to the top of the ridge. Ace nodded and started ahead as Daryl climbed back onto the horse, grunting and letting out a huff as he finally got settled.

Ace walked closer to the edge of the woods leading down to the quarry, sneaking around trees and branches to try and look for any other sign of Sophia out here. Daryl couldn't fit this close with the horse so he looked around further in the woods and over the lake. They covered a lot of land together.

Ace's attention was drawn over when the horse let out a huff of nerves as a few birds flying by spooked it. She watched as Daryl held up the straps on the saddle and made a few more kissy noises. "Easy, easy," he called to it, letting it circle around as he looked at his surroundings. Both of them felt like there was something near.

Ace took a moment to make sure Daryl was fine on the animal, checking that his crossbow was still hanging confidently off his back. It was, with some squirrel dangling off, rubbing against the long sleeve flannel he had buttoned up. When all looked well and the horse calmed down she distanced herself a little further, continuing to look as Daryl scouted around them, too.

She had her eyes out for any walkers or maybe even Sophia, her ears on high alert, but all she was hearing was the hooves of the horse crumpling the leaves.

Until there was a loud, threatening hiss that seemed to come from right beside her. Ace spun around as the horse started to neigh and kick its feet up in pure fear. She stumbled back away from it as it kicked up into the air, Daryl getting lifted up on it.

"Woah, woah, woah now," Daryl tried to calm it down, but neither of them had noticed the snake that just slithered around the horse, spooking it to no avail.

Ace was trying to regain her footing and come over to calm it down, but it kicked upwards again, loudly yelling. This time, it was intensified, sending Daryl flying off and coming down. He ended up catching Ace and knocking her down with him, sending them both tumbling down the steep hill Ace had just regarded as a dangerous fall.

She felt sharp points of pain spark up all over her body as she fell, rolling down over branches, rocks, and god knows what else. She could feel her bones smacking against hard surfaces and her body getting whacked and bent in painful ways as she tumbled.

She felt the earth whiz by her and could barely make out the grunts of Daryl before she fell onto a rock and slid down its surface, smacking into the water. Her head slowly making her vision go black.

"Son of a _bitch!_ " was the last thing she heard.

\--

Ace felt like she was floating. Numb, like her body was not connected to her mind. It felt nice, like she finally was relieved of all the pain her cancer had been giving her.

Her mind was calm, too. Like a nice day on a boat. She wasn't thinking much, hell she couldn't even hear anything. It was quiet. So quiet there was a ringing bouncing around. And everything was so, so dark.

She started to feel water splash against her head, cold and wet on her body. It made her think she was lying on that boat or a raft, but then the numbness she felt started to slip away.

It started with a throb, a small warmth in her back. But then it turned into a pure, fiery ache all over her body. Her limbs she once couldn't feel felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. Pain was radiating all over, like she was hit by a bus, and it got her to roll onto her side, groaning in pain.

It was now her mind started to come back to her and she realized she wasn't on a boat, she was laying in the quarry.

Her mouth was open in pain, some of the water rushing inside. At the taste, Ace spit it out, letting the water rush over the rest of her face as she did. She tasted iron in her mouth.

She started to open her eyes, only seeing a light so bright she had to turn away from it, rolling onto her other side. It was all so much at once she thought she could actually feel the bus hitting her and even the tumor on her back radiating the pain. It was so prominent and her head was so dizzy that the next thing she did was crawl over to the closest rock to pull herself so she could puke.

And that's exactly what she did.

She nearly collapsed after but she held herself up with her arms, as weak as they felt. She just had to breathe. She was fine.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the blazing sun, allowing her to look around. Now, all she could think about was where Daryl is and that _stupid_ horse. This is why she likes to be on her feet, theres nothing more trustworthy than your own control.

Ace pushed herself up, water rolling off of her soaking wet body. She saw the water turn a light shade of red from blood that must have come from her. She has no idea where and doesn't wanted to sit and think about it, either. She had to find Daryl and get out of here before walkers come from all the noise they just made.

When she finally stood, she looked around, holding her hand above her eyes to shade them and search for Daryl. She realized she must've not been out for very long at all, for she easily found him in the same spot he fell, rolling around.

She quickly pushed herself away from the large rock and started splashing over to Daryl. The water was heavy to run through and she nearly collapsed, but she just pushed herself back up, trying to block out the pain. She's dealt with pain, she can deal with it now.

Ace ended up crawling over when she got to him, the water shallow enough for her to do so. He was huffing and his mouth was curling upward in pain as he groaned, laying his head back in the water. As soon as she got over, Ace noticed the arrow that was sticking out of his side, creating a deep red colored water around him.

Daryl rolled his head to the side, recognizing Ace as he started to prop himself up. Ace hurried over and grabbed onto him, putting her shoulder under his to give him something to lean on as he gripped onto his wounded side.

When they got to the sandy opening of the quarry, Daryl fell from her grip, landing with a loud groan on his knees and only open hand. Ace got down with him and moved quickly over to the side with the arrow through it as Daryl roughly ripped the sleeves off his flannel, groaning and whimpering in pain from the aggressive action.

Ace kneeled down and gently placed her fingers around the arrow, getting Daryl to hiss as she tried to assess the wound. She stopped trying to give it pressure at his response and looked at the arrow.

"Gotta pull it out," Ace was breathing heavily, her completely wet hair sticking to her forehead and on the side of her face. She looked up at Daryl who was tying the sleeves he ripped off together, both completely soaked and trying to get out of here.

"No," he huffed, grumbling as he sat up on his knees, wrapping the sleeves around his torso. He started to tie it together around the wound, his arms trembling from the pain as he squeezed it tight.

"Let me pull it out, I want to pull it out," Ace breathed fast, trying to get him to stop.

"Yeah, an' people in hell want slurpees- _ah!_ ," he groaned loudly, his voice turning into a hiss at the end as he finished tying above the arrow. Even when he was in complete pain he still had to be a dick.

Ace breathed out and got up into a crouching position, knowing she wasn't going to get through to Daryl at this moment, looking at him as he sat back on his knees again. He had blood smeared down the side of his face and was soaked as much as Ace was. They made eye contact before they both turned their heads and looked at where they fell from. Where they had to climb back up.

It was nearly a cliff.

They looked at each other again, both thinking the same thing.

_Shit._

Ace took a moment and retracted back into her head, breathing out. She had to think, had to calm down and figure this out. She wasn't the one with an arrow in her side.

Ace's eyes popped open and without voicing her plan, as usual, she pushed herself up and ignored the pain as she hurried over to back to where she had fallen. She had noticed she didn't have her gun or her knife with her. And Daryl needed his crossbow.

She splashed back into the water, falling back onto her knees as she got in, searching around. Her foot kicked something and she reached under, feeling the blade of her knife. She pulled it above water and stuck it in between her teeth to hold as she reached back under, having felt the weight of Daryl's crossbow.

This was a little heavier to pull out of the water holding it down, but she did with a huff, hearing the water dump off of it. She pushed herself back up, throwing the crossbow onto her back as she moved through the water. Her gun was lying in the mud near the rock she woke up at. She picked it up and turned around, making her way back to Daryl who was tightening the sleeves around his waist, looking at her.

When she got back to the sand she dropped her gun and the knife in her mouth next to her feet, noticing the red water starting to drip from her again. She didn't think about it as she walked past Daryl to a pile of branches, finding a stick big enough for him to use as a cane.

She found one that was perfect, even dug it into the sand to make sure it was sturdy before going back to Daryl. She reached down to help Daryl stand, him only having one hand to push up with because he grabbed Ace's knife and gun for her.

She handed him the branch and took them from him, putting them back on her waistband.

"We gotta climb," Ace stated, Daryl looking at her with slightly squinted eyes and a heavy breath. He couldn't help but notice how well she held his bow. She's probably the only other one who has.

Daryl led the way to their hill, trying to find the sturdiest branch he could grab onto to use to get his footing. Ace stayed behind him as he did, making sure he wasn't about to fall back.

Through all the groans and huffs of pain as he climbed, he didn't complain once.

Ace started to climb, feeling her own body ache immensely from the fall as she did. She knows she's pretty banged up, she can feel it, but she can't deal with it right now. She can feel blood and water still drip down her, but other than that she hopes it's just a couple of bad bruises. Her back though was a whole 'nother story. It was throbbing and aching like never before and her medicine wasn't helping her feel great either. So much for it being an okay day.

She climbed behind Daryl, staying a little bit to his side, grunting with him as she pulled herself up. Ace was great at climbing, there was a rock climbing wall at community center she used to stay at. She could easily scale past Daryl but she stayed behind, trying not to hurt herself anymore, especially when she was carrying Daryl's bow.

All of the sudden Daryl came to a stop, half of his body swinging back as he didn't have anything to grab onto. He was breathing heavy, huffing as he tried not to use the side with the arrow in it too much. It seemed like the cane-stick Ace had got for him was helping him for a while, but the more they climbed, the steeper it seemed to get and the stick was just pushing more rocks and dirt off the hill. Daryl stopped, looked at it, then huffed as he threw it down the hill.

Ace looked down to watch it fall, nearly regretting that as she did, having not noticed how far up they had made it. It was a long drop down.

"Don't look down," Daryl said to her, turning back away to go grab on to another branch.

Too late, Ace thought.

Daryl's breath started to come back to him as he held on to a branch, his side still throbbing. He reached his open hand upward to grab onto some loose branches, but reached too short and swung back. "Come on," he breathed heavily to himself. "Ya got half, stop bein' such a pussy."

He let out a few more purposeful huffs, bouncing a bit as he prepared himself to nearly jump to the next branch. He took one big swing, got his footing, but then missed again, falling back to his old spot. But this time, he started to slip under his feet and Ace watched as he slowly started to fall back.

"Daryl!" Ace tried, seeing that he might fall.

"Shit, watch-" Daryl was cut off by his own groan as he slid, completely losing his grip and falling, once again starting his tumble downwards.

Ace cursed, trying to dive to the side away from his rolling body, but still losing her own footing on the hill. She started to fall, but this time she wouldn't have it. She held her feet out, feeling her body slip as she tried to grab onto something, _anything_ that she could.

The edge of an old tree root was sticking out just enough for Ace's fingers to catch on, causing her to dangle from it, barely holding on from tumbling down. She glanced down, trying to see Daryl, only being able to catch his arm that was laying flat on the ground. He must be unconscious, shit.

With a determined breath, Ace used every ounce of upper body strength she had to pull herself up, letting out a long groan as she did, Daryl's crossbow sliding around on her back. She pulled herself up enough that she was able to stick her feet in the dirt, pushing her body upwards.

The tree root allowed her to get high enough that she could reach the sturdy branch she slid from so she shot herself over, grabbing onto the branch and burying her feet into the dirt beneath it.

When she was steady, she let her head fall, breathing in and out deeply. Her body ached badly. And the worst part is now she has to climb back down.

How did searching for Sophia turn into this?

\--

With one last breath, Ace jumped down from the bottom of the hill, her feet hitting wet sand, finally having made it to the bottom.

Daryl had managed to roll further into the dirt from where he fell, so Ace didn't stop before she rushed over to him. She was starting to feel soreness in nearly every muscle and just wanted to get out of this damn quarry.

It had been obvious that Daryl had been unconscious after his second tumble, but as Ace hurried over to him, she could hear him mumbling. Who was he talking to?

"Screw you..." he mumbled, his voice quiet from exhaustion. "Tried like hell to find ya, bro."

Ace slowed as she got closer to him. He was lying in the dirt, under shade coming from the hill. He was barely awake, his head rolling back and forth, his eyes barely being able to open as he spoke. He looked like hell, side and face bleeding, dirt covering his eyes.

"I ain't nobodies bitch," his head shook to the side, trying to open his eyes but them only crossing before they rolled back. Ace had enough of waiting to listen to him talk and came over, crouching down by his face.

She started to jab his shoulder, trying to nudge him awake, maybe get him to roll onto his side. She had to take that arrow out now, it wont stop bleeding and she knows it will bind the wound better. He just has to be so stubborn.

Daryl was sort of coming to, rolling his head to the side, trying to open his eyes. He just barely got them open enough to look up at Ace, meeting hers. They looked at each other for a moment and Ace swears she saw his slightly agar mouth turn into a smirk.

She started to try and get him up again, but froze when she heard a sound coming from nearby. It sounded like shuffling feet and when she looked up, she nearly cursed.

Walkers.

Ace scrambled back away from Daryl, reaching at her side for her knife, her heart dropping when she didn't feel it. She quickly stood up, looking around, only to spot it back up by the hill. It must have fallen when she slid down the second time.

She thought about going to grab it but the first walker was fast approaching and if she left, Daryl would be defenseless.

She had to think, use her brain and _fast_. The growls started to get louder and she knew she couldn't use her gun, that was something she rarely did. It's stupid. The only weapon she had on her was the crossbow hanging from her back.

She looked at Daryl and the arrow in his side. She had an idea and she knew Daryl was not about to like it in any way.

But since she was thinking fast on her feet, she didn't hesitate to slide back down by Daryl's side. She pulled the crossbow off her back, setting it on her lap while she grabbed onto her thick flannel shirt, ripping a large piece off quickly.

She leaned over Daryl, trying to slap his face a bit before shoving the bundled up piece of fabric into his mouth to muffle his yells and cause, well... this is gonna hurt like a bitch.

Ace placed one hand on his side around the arrow and then wrapped the other one around it, glancing up at the walkers one more time. The first one was way too close, getting Ace to start breathing faster and look back down at Daryl as she quickly started to yank up at the arrow.

His body shot up, sharp huffs and groans of pain and panic coming out as Ace ripped the arrow upward, hearing his flesh rip as she finally got it out.

Daryl fell back and Ace didn't hesitate to spin onto her butt to face the walker, putting the crossbow in her lap and starting to pull the string back. She let out a loud groan, gritting her teeth and using all the muscles she had in her arms to get this thing ready to load. It was a lot of weight to pull back, she had never even noticed.

When it finally clicked the walker was at her feet, his growling so loud it echoed in Ace's ears. She was going as fast as she could, fumbling with the arrow, sweat rolling down her face as she breathed fast.

The walker started to lean down for its attack and Ace quickly fell back, lifting up the crossbow and firing it as best as she could at the head. She let out the biggest breath of relief as she watched it go right under the walkers eye and into the brain. She didn't feel any guilt for killing it, not like before. She didn't have time for that.

It was now that she heard grunts next to her, getting her to look over at Daryl who had gotten up. He was on top of the second walker, slamming the stick-cane he threw into it's skull over and over again until it was completely dead.

When he saw that the other one was dead he allowed himself to fall back next to Ace, both of them laying there and breathing heavy, trying to catch their breath.

Holy shit.

Ace started to grow worried when she hadn't heard any movement from Daryl after a bit and looked over, seeing he had passed out again. She felt bad for the arrow, but knew they could have both been dead if she hadn't. She told him he had to take it out, anyway.

Ace tossed the crossbow to the side so she could use her hands to get up. She felt weak in every sense of the word. She was completely dehydrated and her stomach was so empty she could feel it convulse, probably because of her meds. She knew if they survived today, she was going to nap for so long.

She also knew that Daryl was probably worse off than her. With all the blood he's lost, he needs some water and soon. Some food wouldn't do him too bad, either.

Ace had to get him some. They needed to survive this.

Ace bent over and grabbed the crossbow again, walking over to the walker next to it and pulling out the bolt from its head. She wiped it off on her pants and then held it out in front of her. She was not going to be able to get any food with this thing, she knew nothing about it. At least she had figured out how to load it.

She thought of this and took her time reloading the one arrow again, just in case, and put the bow back on her back. She knew Daryl would not be please one bit to have his stuff messed with, Ace can tell that much about him, but he doesn't really have a choice right now.

Ace walked back over to him, standing at his side with her hands on her hips, looking down at him. Her ears listened around for any noise, any danger that could come, but heard nothing.

And it was time for them to get out of this hell hole. She wanted to get back to the group, as crazy as that sounded to her. She wanted to get away from them so bad, but now, after all of this, seeing them would bee a hundred times better.

Ace wiped the sweat off her face and started to lightly kick Daryl with her foot. The sun was now at its highest point in the sky, starting to completely roast them both.

Ace noticed when Daryl started to wake up again, his eyes opening with a jolt, hand coming up to protect himself. The sun was just behind Ace, lighting up her silhouette for Daryl to see as he came to.

He wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real.. If she, standing there all sturdy with his crossbow, lookin' down at him, was real. Hell, he had just saw Merle.

"Mornin', let's get movin'," Ace said what he had so sassily said to her this morning, smirking slightly at herself.

Daryl's head fell back. She was definitely real.

\--

"Told ya you had to take it out," Ace mumbled as she stood by Daryl who was sitting on a fallen tree, wrapping the rest of his shirt as a band-aid around his side. He seemed much better now, the bleeding having stopped and the pain not as bad now that the arrow was out.

Daryl snorted. "Yeah, whatever, jus' get me those squirrels," he pointed over to the string of dead squirrels he hunted for today that was laying down by the creek.

Ace went over and grabbed them, along with her knife she had dropped, and came back, tossing them by Daryl. She watched as he finished tying his shirt back around his waist, noticing how completely covered he was in dirt. Ace wondered what she looked like if he looked that bad.

Daryl started pulling squirrels off the string and rinsing his knife off in the water before he started to cut into them. Ace watched as he shoved his fingers in, scooping out part of the squirrel and leaning back to drop it in his mouth. It was almost animalistic watching him lick his fingers.

"Here, get ya energy back up," Daryl held out the squirrel for her, but she just looked, going back into silence again. "C'mon," he tries again.

"No thanks," Ace said lowly, not really wanting to eat uncooked meat, but also not wanting to get sick again in front of him. Daryl looked at her for a moment, deciding wether he should challenge her, but gave in.

"Fine, suit yaself," he shrugged, finishing off the rest of the squirrel, chucking it into the water after.

"Ready?" Ace asked, getting antsy. Daryl huffed as he got back up from the tree, grabbing his knife that he stabbed into it. "One more thing," he grumbled, walking over to the dead walkers.

Ace watched intently and silently with her eyes scrunched as Daryl pulled the shoe laces from the walkers boots. She was confused, her stomach flipping when he began to cut off the ears.

She knew it would mask their smell, but she also knew it was a little bit like a trophy for him. They had survived. And Ace hated walkers. But mutilating the corpse made her feel slimy.

Daryl came back over with two ear-necklaces, walking over and tossing one to Ace. She caught it, hesitant to touch it. This was someone's _ears._

But if Daryl thought it would help, Ace could suck it up. They had a moment where they just looked at each other as she put the necklace on. They knew that if stuck out here with any other person but the other, it could have been worse.

"Let's do this," Daryl stated, breaking the lasting eye contact and grabbing his crossbow that Ace gave back, slinging it on his shoulder. He also made sure he still had Sophia's doll. That's what this was about after all.

This time Ace started climbing first, leading the way for Daryl. He just had to follow her path, grab what she did. It seemed simpler in Ace's head because before she knew it, she was way ahead of Daryl. So she stopped, holding onto a branch as she looked down at him.

Daryl was a bit to her right, looking back up at her as he huffed. "Ain't gonna wait up?" He groaned, breathing heavily.

"Sorry," Ace mumbled, watching as he looked down to try and see where he could get his footing. "Step on that branch," she pointed, helping guide him up.

He glanced at her once more before looking over, finding the branch and easily getting up. He almost rolled his eyes, this girl getting cocky.

Ace could see herself getting closer and closer, checking below her to make sure Daryl didn't fall again the whole time. He was doing good though, both of them powering through this awful climb with nothing more than grunts and groans.

Ace grabbed onto the last branch before the steepest part that would get them off of this awful cliff. It took her three tries to get a grip on it, having nothing but grass to hold onto, but she eventually did, letting out a loud groan as she used her now noodle arms to pull herself up one last time.

She rolled onto the ground, letting out breaths of relief and exhaustion. She had made it. She had literally crawled up out of hell.

Now for Daryl.

She crawled back over to the edge, careful not to fall back down. Daryl was struggling at this last part, his injured side now getting to him. He kept trying, letting out whimper-like grunts and raspy breaths. Ace tried to reach him, but he was just a little too far down and he was barely paying attention.

He was looking up at the sky, his mind seeming to be somewhere else. Ace tried to get his attention but he started talking to someone else again.

_Baby brother, somebody had to take care of your worthless ass._

"Ya never took care of me," Daryl breathed, still trying to climb. "Ya talk a big game but you was never there! Hell, you ain't here now."

_I'm as real as your Chupacabra._

Ace let herself sit on her feet, watching in confusion. Daryl was hallucinating or imaging something. He knows he is, but he's still got to fight it.

"Daryl," Ace tried as he struggled down there. She became worried at his state if he was starting to hallucinate. And if he fell again...

_And I'm sure those shrooms you ate had nothin' to do with it, right?_

"You best shut the hell up!" Daryl yelled up in a raspy, angry voice and Ace tensed. She could have sworn that was meant for her, but Daryl wasn't looking at her, he was looking above her like there was someone else there.

Ace watched him, watched as he got angry and more determined to climb. He was huffing like crazy, climbing up farther and farther. He was almost there... almost..

_Come on, little brother. Grab your friend Rick's hand!_

With one last heart-wrenching groan, Daryl lunged for the top of the hill, pulling himself up. And when he looked, it wasn't Rick's hand. It wasn't Merle's anymore. _It was Ace's_.

He took it.

Ace used all her strength to help pull him up, both of them whimpering as the last of their body strength was being used until they collapsed onto the ground.

They made it.

\--

Well, they hadn't made it yet. There was 3 miles between them and the farm house. It didn't seem so far on the way there, but it felt like forever on the way back.

Daryl and Ace were practically dragging their bodies, Daryl even pulling his crossbow behind him. If a walker were to cross paths with them... Ace was trying not to think about that.

They stayed silent on the way back, both too tired to say anything, not like either would anyway. They just wanted to be back and nothing needed to be said.

With miles under their feet, and what felt like years of dragging on together, they finally, _finally_ made it to the clearing of the farm. The RV could be spotted next to all the little tents and relief washed over Ace. She spotted figures running this way and had to blink past the sun to make them out. They were coming fast, probably coming to help them. They must've looked like shit.

Ace was taken by surprise when the figure, who turned out to be Rick, held out his Revolver to point at them. Her jaw clenched and Ace glared, her day was already rough enough, why was he pointing a gun at her head? She glanced behind Rick to see T-Dog, Glenn, and Shane run up as well, all holding weapons.

"Is that Daryl and Ace?" Glenn asked, his voice almost worried. Ace looked around at them, staying quiet. Her brain was fried.

"That's the third time ya pointed that thing at my head!" Daryl grumbled loudly to Rick, fed up and annoyed. He's had a long ass, painful day. "Ya gonna pull the trigger or what?"

The group before them seemed to be relieved when he spoke, but before Ace could wonder what the other two times Rick pointed his gun at Daryl were, a gun shot went off in the air and she watched as Daryl collapsed onto the ground.

"NO!" Rick yelled to behind him.

Ace's body spun to face Daryl, a breath coming out of her lips as she dropped to his side. "No." She breathed, quickly moving to his head while a million thoughts ran through hers, but before they got too bad her finger tips touched the side of his head where the bullet hit to see it just grazed him. He was alive.

He couldn't catch a break. After all of this long, horrible day, he gets this? And Ace gets to think he just got shot in the head? Her heart nearly stopped.

Daryl met Ace's eyes for a moment, seeming confused and exhausted, but still angry, as usual.

"I was kidding," Daryl said as Rick and Shane ran over, lifting him up and throwing his arms over their shoulders.

T-Dog came over to Ace and crouched down, grabbing onto her arms to help her back up. "You alright? What the hell happened?"

Ace stayed quiet, unable to think. "Who shot him?" Ace;s voice cracked, lost and close to frantic from the stress that bullet just caused her. She didn't know why it hurt her so bad to think Daryl just died next to her. T-Dog didn't need to answer, for Andrea running up in tears answered it for Ace. "Oh my God, oh my God! Is he dead?" Andrea cried.

"Unconscious. Just grazed him," Rick stated as they struggled to drag him towards the farm house.

T-Dog kept an arm around Ace to help her walk, her probably looking way worse than she felt. Usually Ace would protest the help but this time she was too busy giving Andrea a death stare.

"Look at him! Ace, what the hell happened?" Glenn panicked. "You're wearing ears!"

Ace felt eyes on her but she didn't look at any of them, just glanced over to Daryl as Rick pulled the ears off his neck and tucked them into his shirt. "Let's keep that to ourselves," Rick breathed, still rushing towards the house with an unconscious Daryl.

Ace reached up and pulled hers off, shoving them into her pants pocket.

"Guys," T-dog got them to stop, reaching down and pointing to the doll from Daryl's belt. "Isn't this Sophia's?"

Everyone looked at it and then back to Ace.

"You found it?" Shane asked. Ace looked over to him and nodded. She was too tired to form words.

"C'mon lets get them back," Rick urged, starting to drag Daryl again while everyone else followed.

They passed by the rest of the group, Lori and Hershel both very upset for different reasons about the gun shot and situation. Ace ignored them all, she was tired and just needed to sit and breathe. If Daryl had actually gotten shot, she has no clue what she would have done.

Hershel led them into another extra bedroom like the one Carl was staying it, this one in the corner of the house. Rick and Shane brought Daryl over to the bed that Glenn ripped the sheets off of, dumping him on it.

"Sit," T-Dog said to Ace, pointing to the small chair in the corner at the end of the bed. Hershel's daughter, Beth, brought in some towels and water. T-Dog grabbed one and came back to Ace as she slumped into the chair. Her whole body was screaming at her.

T-Dog reached up with the wet towel, hesitating slightly to help Ace, afraid she might snap. But he wanted to repay her for helping him before. Ace did not want anyones help at all, but her body was not up for doing anything about it. She was still on edge, ready to fight, gripping on to the arms of the chair.

Maybe she should shoot at Andrea after she's had a rough day and see how she likes it.

T-Dog pressed the towel against Ace's forehead, starting to rub slightly at all the gunk caked on her face. He saw the towel turn red and black as he did. He did the same to her neck and then her lower arms and hands, trying to clean her up so they could see if she had any wounds to tend to.

Luckily she didn't, she just was covered in scrapes and bruises. And her favorite shirt was ruined, that she wasn't pleased about.

When T-Dog was done he let his hands rest in between his legs as he looked up at her from his squatting position. Shane nearly stomped over to Ace. "What happened?" He demanded.

Ace glanced around, meeting the other's eyes and then looking down to Daryl who was slowly starting to come to again.

"We fell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene/episode has always been a fan favorite! It was super fun to write, hope I did it justice. :)


	27. To Live or To Lose

"Found it washed up on a creek bed right there," Daryl pointed to the map Rick held open on the bed before putting his hand back on the side of his head, holding a rag there. "She musta' dropped it crossing there somewhere."

Ace watched as Daryl laid on his side, propping his head up with his hand while Hershel stitched him up. She was still sitting in the small chair across from the bed, resting her head in her hands as she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. Her back was killing her.

"Cuts the grid almost in half," Rick stated, looking back to Shane who was leaning against the wall next to Ace.

Ace noticed the look, sensing that there was some tension between Rick and Shane. It really was no surprise that something probably happened while she was gone, but she was too exhausted to figure out what so she just ignored it.

"Yeah, you're welcome," Daryl huffed, struggling to stay still as Hershel pulled on his stitches.

"How's he looking?" Rick asked Hershel, ignoring Daryl's remark.

Ace looked over Daryl, answering that question in her head for him. He looked like shit.

He had blood dried up all over his face and shoulders, and probably a layer of dirt an inch thick everywhere. It took a lot of struggle just to get his tank top off earlier, from the pain and just cause Daryl didn't want to. He had made everyone 'get', as he said, not comfortable with all them staring at him. He had scars he didn't want no one seein'. The only reason he allowed it to happen was that everyone was in front of him, only the Doc seeing his back.

Ace was too tired to care, her eyes drooping every now and then as she sat in the chair watching them. She had barely slept the past couple of days and she knows the meds she takes have a tendency to knock her out. Especially after her day today.

"I had no idea we'd be goin' through the antibiotics so quickly," Hershel responded, he was not pleased with them. "Any idea what happened to my horse?"

Ace's face hardened. That stupid horse.

"The one that almost killed me? It's smart, it left the country," Daryl said, his voice a raspy and unhappy.

"We call that one Nellie.. As in nervous Nellie," Hershel gave Daryl and Ace a look, stepping away to rinse his hands in the bucket of water Beth brought in. Ace felt like she was being scolded. "I could have told you she'd throw ya if you bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

Hershel shook his head, Daryl flopping his back on the pillow to stare up at the ceiling.

Rick had gotten up from beside the bed, rolling up the map as he looked at Hershel. He didn't like being accused or his group judged in that matter. "We'll check on you later," Rick said to Daryl behind him, breaking eye contact with Hershel as he went to the door to leave the room. Shane got up to follow, probably going to cause problems.

Hershel watched them go until he turned around, going to grab the roll of bandages by his rags. "Going to have to stitch up your head, too," he said, walking over to the side of the bed by Daryl.

Daryl let out a huff, closing his eyes. "Great," he grumbled.

Ace watched, not feeling it necessary to move or say anything. She knew she probably could offer some help, but she was a bit zoned out. Daryl had almost forgotten she was there.

When Hershel finished and wrapped his head in bandages, he wheeled out his little cart of medical supplies and told them the same thing Rick had. He'd check on them later.

"Oh," Hershel turned back around. "There's a shower upstairs, feel free to clean yourselves up. Just be scarce on the hot water."

A shower sounded excellent to Ace. She had so much dirt on her that she could feel it crack on her skin when she moved. Getting up the stairs was something she had to work up to though. Her body was way too tired to get up right now.

"Lucky you ain't got any stitches," Daryl huffed, rolling onto his unwounded side, bringing the sheets up to cover his back and body.

Ace looked over, him now facing her more. "I'm not the one that fell on an arrow," she mumbled back.

Daryl snorted. "Yeah, well ya the one with the stupid plan in the first place," he retorted.

Ace rolled her eyes. "You're the one that fell off a horse."

"I wanted to take the damn horse," Daryl squinted his eyes at her.

Ace let out a breath, her chin resting in her hands still. "Well people in hell want slurpees." Her voice was sarcastic, mocking what Daryl had said to her earlier. Maybe now he would realize how much of a jackass he sounded like.

Daryl looked over Ace, her watching him as it was quiet for a moment between them. That is until they both broke out into chuckles. They were so stupid. This whole day was so stupid.

They both eventually stopped laughing, Ace sitting up a bit in her seat.

"I ain't ever ridin' a damn horse again," Daryl said, not nearly as grumpy as he was before.

"And I'm not comin' with you again if you do," Ace agreed.

Daryl looked at her again, searching through her expression. "Glad ya did. Would'a died if ya didn't."

Ace met his eyes, the atmosphere growing a bit more intense on her all of the sudden. Ace knew he probably would have still found a way to survive, but they knew that she still saved his ass. It was nothing though, he's saved hers a few times before, too.

Something about the energy between them shifted today.

"Ended up with some nice bruises though," Daryl changed the subject, pointing a little bit at Ace. She hadn't seen herself yet and wasn't sure if she even wanted to. She shrugged, now falling back into silence. It started to grow a bit awkward, neither of them knowing what to say, but still kind of looking at each other. Ace tried to keep her eyes off his shirtless form.

Ace cleared her throat and sat up. "Probably should go shower," she mumbled, starting to use all her strength to stand up. Her legs were nearly wobbling, her back screaming at her.

Daryl nodded, gnawing on his lip.

Ace stood and started to make her way to the door, trying to contain her limp.

"Ya got a place to sleep tonight?" Daryl called out, getting her attention as she opened the door. He looked like he had lots on his mind, not that he'd ever let himself open up and say it.

Ace was kind of confused, but it was a good question. "The RV," she said, even though she was pretty sure not even the floor was guaranteed for her at this point.

"Take my cot," Daryl said like it wasn't up for discussion, signaling outside. "In my tent. Could use a bed," he shrugged. "I'll be stuck in here anyway." He tried to make it seem less like he was being nice. Always had to harden the blow.

Although shocked, still absolutely confused at the ways Daryl was to her, Ace nodded, a slight smile ghosting her face. Here was Daryl Dixon not only allowing, but offering her to sleep in his tent. In his own space. What the hell? "Okay," Ace gave one more appreciative nod before turning to open the door.

Daryl watched her, biting at his cheek for a minute as he considered something.

"Aye, Mouse," Daryl got her attention again, knowing that name would piss her off.

Ace snapped her head back, hand still resting on the door knob. She was curious, but he was really exhausting her with that stupid name. She sighed as she looked at him, he should be glad she's too tired to get mad.

"You should stay."

Daryl answered the question she had desperately asked him yesterday. Frozen, Ace locked eyes with him. For a second, all the thoughts in her mind stopped.

She wanted to ask him a million questions, but had absolutely no words coming to mind. He thought she should stay. He _wanted_ her to stay?

All Ace could do was send him a nod, turning to silently exit the room.

When she closed the door behind her, she stood there for a second, back facing the door. Her mind lulled in confusion, Daryl's words pounding at her forehead. It was almost like it was exactly what she needed to hear. She should stay.

"Hey," Maggie's voice startled Ace, making her nearly jump. Her nerves were completely shot. "How are you feelin'? I was just about to bring you guys some clean sheets." Maggie's voice was warm.

"Thanks," Ace mumbled, offering a smile but it was barely half of one, exhaustion could be seen all over it. "I was jus' about to shower."

"Up stairs to your left," Maggie signaled with her head.

Ace nodded, sharing an appreciative look before Maggie started to walk off again. Ace remembered something.

"Maggie," Ace called, that being the first time she's said that name. Maggie turned around, her short hair bouncing on her head. "Do you have any other shirts, like mine?" Ace looked down, holding out her ripped, bloodied flannel. Hers was as good as gone right now and this is all she wore.

"There should be some extra clothes in the closet across the hall. Otis might've had one in there but I'm not sure," Maggie offered.

Ace nodded. "Thanks."

Maggie smiled, turning on her heel to head back to the bedroom. Ace sighed, grabbing onto the railing to start heading up the stairs, her body aching with each step. She found the bathroom easily and quickly went inside, shutting and locking the door behind her. She didn't feel safe here yet, still struggling to let her guard down after today.

There was a towel and washrag folded on a stool next to the shower. It was just a small tub, enclosed by a white-washed curtain. It seemed clean, much better than what Ace has had. She was headed to go turn on the water, but froze when she caught her reflection in the mirror.

Daryl was right, she had definitely gotten some nice bruises.

As Ace stood there, looking at her blue and purple skin on her forehead, she thought about today. After all of this, still no Sophia. They had found her doll, which was definitely a sign that she had been near, but all of this for a doll? Ace just wanted Sophia back with her mother. She wanted to play Go Fish again. She wanted Sophia to be found, to be okay, because deep down she knows this is her only chance at some type of closure after losing Frankie.

Especially now that Daryl told her to stay and Ace was actually considering it.


	28. The Living and The Dead

The next morning, Ace jumped awake from her bad dream. It felt like she was falling down the cliff again.

She sat up, quickly looking around to access her surroundings, feeling a very heavy weight on her shoulders that made her grip tight onto the knife she kept under her pillow. As she looked around, she remembered that it was not her pillow, it was Daryl's. She was still in his tent.

Letting out a breath, Ace set her knife down and brought her hands up to run over her face.

She had slept surprisingly well besides her nightmare that loomed over her. She was thankful Daryl had let her sleep in here while he was in the house, it was the most comfortable she's been in a long time. That was probably partly because she was so exhausted it didn't matter where she slept, but being out of that RV was great. The bench was terrible for her back.

Dale had still managed to find her last night though, bringing her the medicine she needed to take before bed. Ace knew she would have completely forgot, so she was glad Dale did, but at the same time she was not at all. She wished she could forget about her cancer, at least for one night.

Pushing herself up, Ace turned and swung her feet off the cot, letting them press against the cold tent below as she pushed the sleeping bag off her legs. Georgia mornings were chilly, and the nights were starting to get almost freezing. Ace felt it last night, but still slept like a log.

Ace looked around her, taking in the surroundings of Daryl's tent. There wasn't much in here besides bags and shirts lying around. There were some of his arrows leaning against a small cooler, but besides that he just had the essentials. He also had two nice purple flowered pillows that Ace slept very well on last night. It kept her neck perfectly aligned so her back didn't ache so damn much. She hadn't had a pillow in so long that she nearly considered stealing his.

Of course she wouldn't, instead she reached over and grabbed her boots that she lined up at the edge of the cot. She slid her feet in and was starting to lace them up when she heard footsteps come from outside.

There was a ruffle by the tent before Ace heard someone start fumbling with the zipper, and by the raspy grunts, she could tell it was Daryl.

When he finally yanked the zipper all the way open, he pushed the flap back and ducked as he stepped inside, his eyes immediately on Ace. Ace jumped up when he did to get off his bed. Daryl was a little surprised to see her in not her normal clothes-her shirt having been trashed. She was wearing a plain black shirt that was... tight.

Ace looked over, seeing that he had gotten some clothes back. He had his same old pair of dark grey pants and a blue button up that of course had the sleeves taken off. The button up was not actually buttoned though, besides the bottom two-which were buttoned in the wrong holes- exposing most of his chest that was now not as dirty. He must have showered.

Ace quickly looked away and back down to her shoes she was finishing lacing, not wanting to stare at his chest. When she finished, she grabbed her knife that she left on his cot. "Thanks," Ace mumbled as she moved away from the cot, allowing Daryl to come plop on it. "For letting me sleep here," Ace looked over at him, avoiding looking at his practically bare chest.

"Mhm," Daryl nodded, scooting back onto the cot. He was stuck on bed rest, according to the old doctor.

Ace turned away, about to start leaving his tent.

"Ain't allowed to go out today," Daryl grumbled as he propped up his pillows to lay back on. Ace turned back and looked at him. "Me an' you."

"I'm fine," Ace immediately defended, not happy about not being able to go search for Sophia. Some one had to and she felt fine now that she slept.

"Doctor's orders," Daryl grumbled, putting a hand behind his head as he looked at Ace.

"Who's gonna go?" Ace asked, her voice quiet, still slightly laced with sleepiness, but almost agitated. Daryl must be rubbing off on her. Not that it was a good thing.

"'S all up to Tweedle-Dee an' Tweedle-Dumb," Daryl said, obviously referring to Rick and Shane. Ace looked away, knowing that which ever one of those Shane was, didn't even want to continue looking for Sophia. He wasn't going to do shit right and he's only gonna distract Rick.. Ace looked back over to Daryl and she saw he thought the same thing. They're screwed. And this was the search for Sophia they were screwing.

"We gotta do something," Ace said, looking at Daryl, him agreeing. He watched her face and he could tell she was tryin' to figure out a way to get out there. It made him want to, too.

"I know," was all Daryl said, readjusting his arm to lay his head back on better. The bed was still warm from Ace.

Ace sighed and when Daryl looked back up at her again, he was surprised to see she was gone. He looked out the tent window and watched as she walked away, seeing her almost limp to the RV.

Ace could barely finish coming up the stairs before Dale was running down from watch, calling her name. She just went over to the table, trying to find her bag and knowing he'd catch up with her. She saw her stuff sitting on the cushion but she was completely puzzled for the moment on what laid on top of it.

Some one had put a flannel shirt on top of her bag.

Ace could barely hear Dale come in the RV, but was distracted as she picked up the shirt. It looked a little worn, but compared to most, it was as best as she could get. It was soft and big, nearly perfect to hers that she had to throw away last night.

Daryl.

He must have overheard her conversation with Maggie and dropped it off for her this morning.

"How are you feeling?" Ace heard Dale ask from behind her, but was not paying attention at all. She had a little bit of a smile on her face as she looked at her new shirt. Daryl gave her a shirt, why? Why was he being so kind to her all of the sudden? "Ace? Anybody in there?"

Dale snapped her out of it and Ace shook it off, putting the shirt back on her bag and turning to him. "Uh-morning," Ace sent a shy smile.

"Morning..." Dale glanced over her shoulder, suspicious. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"And hows the..."

"Fine," she cut him off before he could say 'cancer'.

Dale gave her a worried look, holding onto the strap of his rifle. "Maggie brought over some fruit and jerky, I left you some on the table," he pointed behind Ace.

She glanced behind her and sent Dale a small smile. "Thank you."

As Ace turned around to start pulling out her pills from her bag, along with grabbing her breakfast, she could still feel Dale's presence behind her. He was shuffling on his feet like he had something to say. "I really think you should consider telling the others about your condition," Dale said, getting Ace to stop what she was doing. Her condition? She immediately started to come up with things to deny that, but Dale held up his hands and wouldn't let her start. "After what happened yesterday, it seems like the right thing to do. For your safety."

Ace turned around fully to face him, not sure how to get all her thoughts out. She couldn't even form _no. No way._

"At least Hershel.. He's a doctor-"

"He's a veterinarian," Ace cut him off, trying to add to her point.

"He still has experience. He could help you."

Ace shook her head, but the look on Dale's face made her feel bad. He looked so concerned, making Ace's heart flip in pain. Why were these group members starting to be so kind to her? Why was she letting it get to her?

Ace thought to what Daryl said last night. He told her to stay.

Ace's eyes softened as she looked at Dale. "Not yet, okay?" She pleaded. "I just... need to figure somethings out."

"You don't need to figure it out alone," Dale offered, toying at the hat in his hands. His eyes were so kind that it almost pained Ace, making her turn around. She wasn't going to discuss this. Dale's expression was two seconds away from convincing Ace, making her feel bad. She just needed some more time to make a plan.

Ace grabbed Daryl's flannel and her pack, sliding it on her back. She gripped the shirt in her hand along with her breakfast. She slid past Dale, trying to get out of this. "They're going to find out," Dale stopped her, giving her that look full of worry and knowing. He knew that someone else would put the pieces together, too.

Ace glanced up at him, feeling his worry. He _cared_ about her. But Ace had to stress him out for a little bit longer. "You promised."

Dale sighed, leaning back against the counter. "I know," he gave in. He'd respect her wishes.. for now.

"I am thankful for your help," Ace added, she didn't want to be rude to Dale, but he just didn't understand it at this moment. "I just need some time."

Dale nodded and sent a smile, but Ace could see the worry in it. She didn't want to feel guilt for making him worry anymore, so she looked away and left the RV, leaving Dale standing there. She glanced around them camp when she got outside, looking around at what everyone was doing.

They all seemed to have their own separate jobs, or chores, to keep them busy. Lori and Carol were doing the laundry, T-dog was making breakfast, Andrea was collecting fire wood, Glenn was laughing with Maggie, and so on. None of them seemed to notice Ace, so immersed in what they were doing or the conversations they were having.

Ace stood for a moment, glancing back to the RV where she left Dale. His care was eating away at her. Ace glanced to the shirt in her hands. Daryl was eating away at her, too. Maybe because she was starting to care as well. Maybe because she knew they were right.

Ace looked to her left, spotting Rick looking over a map on Carol's Cherokee. Ace didn't hesitate to walk over to him, making up her mind. She approached carefully, Rick looking stressed out enough already. She hadn't really spoken to him since back at the campsite outside Atlanta. Ace hoped he wasn't on edge with her, too.

Rick heard her come up, drawing his attention. He watched her for a moment, but greeted her with a nod short after. "Morning," was all he said.

"Mornin'," Ace put on a flat smile, walking over to the car. She glanced at the map in front of him.

"Hershel advised you and Daryl hang back today," Rick started, not looking to her as he repeated information Ace had already heard. "I think its for the best. Don't need a repeat of yesterday."

Ace was unhappy with this. She was fine. More so than that, she was unsure of what Rick's plan was. Rick noticed the way she peaked over at the map, trying to figure out what he was doing. "Shane's going to head to a housing development nearby," Rick announced, pointing on the map. Ace walked closer to look. "I'm going to hold down the fort here while he's out."

Ace squinted up at him. Thats it? Rick's not even going out? What is happening that he needs to stay here for?

Rick started to fold up the map and pack it away. Ace bit at her lip for a moment, wracking her brain at what to do. She got so caught up in her head that she hadn't even noticed Rick start to walk away.

Without even a thought, she couldn't stop herself. "Wait, Rick."

He stopped and only spun around enough to make eye contact, a hand still on his hip while the other fell from his face. Ace gulped, stepping towards him, her hands tied together. What the fuck was she doing?

"I know I said I wasn't stayin'," Ace pushed out, stumbling over how to say this or if she even wanted to. Rick raised an eyebrow at her. "But..." Ace sighed, trying to swallow down the gravity of her decision. "I'd like to be a part of this group."

She finally got it out, a moment of silence following after as Rick absorbed what she said. He was acting the role of the leader here, and Ace knows if he is willing to have her, then maybe she might just be crazy enough to stay. Which, at this point, she definitely is crazy. Everyone was getting in her head.

Rick faced her again and surprised her by walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. His blue eyes looked down into her mixed ones, really seeing them for the first time. " _You are_ a part of this group," he said sternly, giving her a look that made her feel like she actually felt welcome for once, like she should have never even questioned it. It was insane and completely foreign. Ace thought this group didn't even notice her. "After what you did for Jim. And Sophia. _And_ T-Dog," Rick pushed into her. "I think its a good thing you're stayin'."

Ace blinked up at him, mindlessly nodding. Ace wasn't expecting that. She wasn't expecting how it made her feel, either.

Rick sent her a nod. "I've got to go speak with Hershel."

Ace was stuck as she watched him walk off. She was trying to wrap her head around his words. It was like the decision of her staying was already made for her by everyone else. Like they weaseled their way into her, and now she would feel bad if she left. Ace gulped, she just had to stomach the rock that sat in her gut now. She had to stomach her decision to walk away from Frankie for a bit. She had to stomach facing her cancer.

And that was something Ace could not do in a day. Standing here thinking about it wasn't going to get anything done. So when she glanced back to the group, all busy within themselves, Ace knew what she would do.

She was going to look for Sophia.

Ace tucked her apple behind her into her bag and took a bite of the jerky before she started to non-challantly walk towards the edge of the farm. She wasn't going to sit here all day doing nothing while Sophia was out there. Not if she had to leave Frankie behind. She was going to eat her jerky, take her pills, and do a damn good job tracking. She had watched Daryl long enough now to try.

She had to make up for yesterday.

Reaching the tree line, Ace took one more glance behind her before sneaking into the woods, starting on the way to the area her and Daryl had been at yesterday.

\---

It was a while after mid-day that Ace returned to the farm.

She came back satisfied with the day, having found what she was almost positive were Sophia's tracks. Not once did she get sick, nor did she cross paths with any walkers. That was rare. It was an okay day. That was even more rare.

Ace had followed Sophia's tracks for a while with a high spirit, but they started to get messy and she just couldn't get after them. She wasn't getting anywhere, but she knew exactly where she left off and was almost certain if she got Daryl he would be able to follow them much better than her.

Ace had still cut the remaining grid in half _again_.

Her and Daryl were going to do this.

She reemerged from the woods near the stables back behind the house. She pocketed her knife and fixed the straps of her backpack, starting to walk over. She was going to head back to the camp, but heard her name being called from behind. It wasn't a nice tone, either.

"T'hell is wrong wit'cha?"

Ace looked back to see Daryl march over to her, swinging his arm. She was a little taken aback, looking at him confused.

"Where the hell did ya go all damn day?!" He got over to her, not looking pleased.

"To look for Sophia..."

"Without tellin' anyone? Ya that stupid?" Daryl practically scolded her, his voice loud and angry. "Nearly gave the old man a fuckin' heart attack."

"Dale?"

"Yep, he came over to my tent, gettin' everyone all worked up," Daryl seemed back to his agitated self. The group had just been bugging him all day, thinkin' he knew where she was at. Don't know why everyone thought Ace was his problem. But he was just about to go look for her before Dale actually did croak. Old man must have a thing for her.

Ace felt a bit guilty, but knew she made the right choice. "Didn't think it mattered," she defended, sort of mumbling to herself. Ace felt badly again, remembering her talk with Rick. These people were concerned for her.

"Damn stupid," Daryl grumbled. "Ya thought wrong an-"

"I found her tracks," Ace interrupted, getting Daryl's face to freeze and contort into interest.

"Where?" He demanded.

"Back by the river, I followed 'em for a while."

"And?"

"It got messy, I wasn't gettin' anywhere. But I know where I left off, so-"

"I'll come back out wit'cha," Daryl rushed out, already getting her point and forgetting about his anger that she just up an' left. He was more just mad she went without him, leaving him here to sit on his ass doin' nothin' all day.

Ace nodded and that was all it took for them to get it a start on their way. Of course, Daryl already had his crossbow with him and he was ready to go now, he didn't even care about his stitches. Ace wasn't worried, she'd knew he'd be fine. She wanted to go back out now, too.

They started to walk back over to the trees Ace just came out of. Daryl didn't really care about telling the group he was leaving too now, they're too preoccupied with running around like headless chickens.

It was almost as if someone heard Daryl think that, because Rick was running up to them right after. Daryl didn't stop walking, hoping Rick would just let them go.

Of course he won't.

"Ace. Daryl," Rick called, slowing down as he got their attention. Ace and Daryl barely stopped walking. Ace knew she had to deal with the unhappiness with her leaving earlier, making her nerves rise.

"You off to somewhere?" Rick asked with a raised eyebrow, walking after them.

"Looking for Sophia. Ya know, what you ain't doin'," Daryl said grumpily. He was sour about the amount of work the others weren't putting in. He got stitches an' he's still working harder.

"We all wan't to find her, Daryl," Rick tried, but Daryl just snorted and kept walking.

Rick stayed, watching their backs. "You can't keep leaving without telling anyone," he called after them. "Ace," Rick directed his attention to her. "You said you wanted to be a part of this group. Start acting like it."

Ace stopped and glanced back at Rick, eyes sinking into her forehead. When Daryl noticed she wasn't walking by him anymore, he stopped too.

"You aren't on your own anymore. Either of you," Rick looked intensely at both of them, still a little upset that they had no regard for worrying the rest of the group. He had enough on his plate already. "You're a part of this. A part of us. So start giving a shit."

Both Ace and Daryl stayed silent after being scolded. Ace felt bad. Rick was right, but Ace had just been so used to being on her own. She didn't like rules.

Rick looked at them for a while, but then sighed. "Go on," he signaled out with his hand. "Be back before dark so we don't have to worry _again_."

They watched as Rick turned and started stalking away, a hand resting on the top of his gun on his hip.

Ace sighed and turned around, catching up with Daryl so they could keep walking. He was looking at her as she did, and when they started to head into the woods, he kept glancing at her.

"What Rick said back there, it true?" Daryl grumbled, now looking ahead once he got Ace's attention. "Ya a part of the group now... For real?"

Ace looked up at him, meeting his bright blue eyes for a second before looking ahead of her as they started to step over branches. She nodded enough for Daryl to catch, biting on her lip. She hadn't made peace with the decision yet.

"Ain't gonna leave?"

Ace wished that was still an option, but she made a decision. It was the only logical option she had right now. Ace looked up and her and Daryl held eyes as she shook her head no. He nodded in acceptance and looked away, walking at a steady pace, almost a bit in front of her.

"What about you?" Ace asked.

Daryl didn't look back, he was now holding onto his crossbow in front of him, studying the ground. He was following Ace's tracks back to where she was and then she could lead him to the exact place she got lost with Sophia's.

"Why would I leave?" Daryl asked, his body in a bit of a squat as he was semi-distracted by his tracking.

Ace didn't respond, she just gave a knowing look that he couldn't see, since he was in front of her, not paying attention. Ace knew that Merle and Daryl must've been outsiders, that was why Merle wanted to leave so bad with her. Although he was gone, Daryl just stayed by default. He felt like an outsider, just alone now. That's why Ace felt better with him over the others. He was smarter than them, too. And it's not like they were his favorite people. He makes that pretty obvious.

When Daryl didn't get a response he glanced back at her, still in his tracking position, but Ace was now not paying attention either. She was watching off to her side, watching the tracks she left to follow back. She had already moved on from the conversation.

Daryl was about to say something, probably a smart ass comment, but was immediately distracted by what he saw behind Ace.

He let out a low whistle, getting her attention and pointing to her left flank. She looked behind her and saw two walkers stumbling along. They hadn't noticed them yet, but that would change soon. Ace's heart cringed at the foul things and she looked back at Daryl, both of them moving as quietly as they could behind a tree.

"Gotta take 'em out," Daryl said, disappointing Ace who was hoping they could just wait for them to pass. "Bastards will muck up the tracks."

Ace knew he was right and immediately pulled out her knife, gripping it in her hand. "You go right I'll go left?" Ace asked, trying to keep the dread out of her voice.

Daryl met her eyes and nodded.

The both counted down in their heads while looking at each other and then at the same time, they jumped out from behind the tree and rushed to their side, distracting a walker.

Daryl easily pulled up his crossbow and sent a bolt flying into the head of the walker, but unfortunately Ace had to get a little more personal and run up, slightly jumping to plunge her knife through the skull of her walker. It pulled at her aching back. Ace watched it in disgust as it crumpled at her feet once she pulled out her blade, and felt sick as its warm blood coated her hand. She still wasn't used to it.

Ace wiped the blood of her hands onto the fabric of her jeans as Daryl came over, his crossbow dangling at his side. "All good?" He asked and Ace nodded in an automatic response. She put her knife back in the sheath at her side and looked up at Daryl, only to have her eyes widen as a walker was right behind him. They both missed the third one.

"Behind-" Ace could barely warn him before the walker was on his back, making him stumble and fall onto Ace. She landed onto her back with a thud, felling his weight as well as the walkers weight crash down on her. The wind was knocked out of her gut, making her gasp.

Daryl couldn't get a grip on his crossbow, not without accidentally sending a bolt into Ace's arm.

Ace groaned as she yanked her arm that was being crushed by the weight on top of her and frantically reached for her knife. She had dropped it next to her in the fall. Her fingers barely reached the tip of the handle and she struggled to get a grip on it.

The walker's arms were reaching past Daryl to get to her underneath him, but what was left of it's teeth were struggling to rip through his leather vest. Daryl was huffing frantically and trying to shove it off.

Ace finally grabbed her knife and gripped it in her palm. She slapped the walker's arm away with her other hand, reaching around Daryl to shove her knife as hard as she could into the side of the walkers head. She heard the sound of his skull crushing and then felt its weight go dead as it stopped moving on top of them.

Daryl immediately flung it off his back and onto the ground, huffing like crazy. Ace's heart was beating out of her chest and Daryl had to prop himself up, him trying to shake off the nerves, too. That was a close call, they can't believe they missed the third walker. _Shit_.

It took them both a minute to notice that Daryl was still on top of Ace as he caught his breath. His hands were on the ground next to her shoulder and head, propping him up so he was looking down at her. The position forced eye contact.

When they realized the position they were in they both immediately got up, Daryl clearing his throat awkwardly.

He offered Ace a hand to get up, which she took. When she stood, they immediately pulled their hands back, the touch making things worse.

"Ya, uhm, got somethin'," Daryl mumbled, pointing to his head. "In your hair."

Ace caught his drift and reached up, starting to pull the grass and leaves out of her now even messier hair. "Thanks," she said, awkwardly meeting his eyes.

They stood there for a second, both sort of making sure there weren't anymore walkers that were going to fall on them again, but really just trying to avoid eye contact with the other.

"Lets, uh," Daryl started weirdly.

"Yeah," Ace agreed quickly, knowing what he was saying and wanting to continue out of this situation as soon as possible.

Ace lingered behind as he picked up his crossbow, both started walking again, not saying anything. Ace wanted to scream at the awkwardness. And Daryl wanted to bolt.

Neither of them did say another thing for the rest of the time they got back on the track, following until they reached Sophia's. Daryl didn't dare even glance in her direction. He just watched the ground.

Ace immediately took notice to how Daryl shielded himself from her. He wanted _nothing_ to do with her right now. It made Ace frown, feeling like she wanted to escape her own skin. Although it hurt Ace's feelings, for whatever reason, she didn't push Daryl. She stayed as far back from him as she could, giving him space.

When they finally got to the area Ace left off at, she stopped. "Here," she got Daryl's attention, him flinching at her voice.

Daryl still walked over to Ace, looking at the tracks below her. He stayed quiet, following them around for a while, even crouching down to look closer at the ground. After a few minutes, he stood back up and pointed at the ground. "'S a big mess right here, somethin' happened."

Ace walked over, looking at the ground and listening as Daryl spoke. "She sat down... Fell, maybe?" Ace asked, still watching the ground as he moved.

It wasn't very pleasing to hear, but they kept moving. Ace was trying her best to follow the tracks, but this is about where she lost them earlier. It's like they just stop.

After a few minutes, Daryl stood back up from his crouching position. "Looks like she spun around, changed direction."

"She went back," Ace stated. "Why?"

Daryl stayed quiet, following the tracks back towards where they just were. "Dunno, but the only tracks back here... ain't hers."

Ace was so confused with what was going on. She just wanted to find Sophia, they both did, but she felt like they were getting no where. Where is she?

"Maybe I walked over them, mucked 'em up," Ace said quietly, turning to look down around her.

Daryl scratched his chin, coming up behind her. "Na, you stayed off course, did good," he mumbled. "The only tracks around here are big and sloppy."

"Walkers," Ace finished for him. The dead dragged their feet, leaving long, messy trails that were easy to distinguish. Sophia had left smaller, neater tracks. Daryl nodded, gnawing on his cheek as he looked around them. They had nothing. Nothing to tell Carol or the group. He sighed.

"Should head back, 's gettin' dark," Daryl grumbled. He was itching to get away from Ace.

Neither of them really cared that Rick wanted them back by dark, but at the same time they didn't want to deal with him if they weren't. And they were stuck. There were no more tracks for them to follow here. They might as well just start fresh in the morning, look around the area she could have gone back to.

Ace nodded and they both started back, staying quiet this time. The uplifted mood Ace was in earlier definitely had gone. She was so sure she had something, so sure they were close to finding Sophia. But again, they were back to square one. And Ace couldn't help but notice how far Daryl kept himself from her.


	29. The Weight In The Air

"Ripped your stitches. All of them, as a matter of fact," Hershel said as he looked over Daryl's wounds.

When they got back to the farm, Daryl and Ace found that nearly everybody was inside the house, making dinner in the kitchen. Daryl nearly bolted away from Ace, not looking back at her once. Ace followed slowly behind him, allowing the space between them to grow. She felt like shit.

They got a big greeting when they came inside, and not a very happy one at that. No one was very pleased that they left unannounced, Ace having done it twice.

Hershel was forcing them both to sit in the room he stitched Daryl up in yesterday so he could check on them. Ace tried to convince him she was fine, really _really_ not wanting to invade Daryl's space anymore. Daryl was tense as Hershel was bringing Ace back over. Hershel told her with a bruise as big as hers on her forehead, it wouldn't be a surprise if she had a minor concussion.

"This is why you were supposed to be on bed rest," Hershel said as he started getting supplies to sew up Daryl.

"M'fine," Daryl snorted. "Got a little girl that needs lookin' for."

"Not by you, not right now," Hershel wiped the dried blood off his wound. Ace sat in the same chair she was yesterday, not daring to look up. "You'll spend the night in here and tomorrow, you will not leave this farm. Neither of you."

Daryl was about to snap at him, but Hershel dug the needle in his skin, getting Daryl to cringe and forget what he was going to say.

Hershel quickly stitched him up again, wrapping a new bandage around his side and cleaning off the wound on his head. Daryl had a scowl on his face as he tugged his shirt back on while Hershel went over to Ace. He made her follow his fingers with her eyes, and even went as far as shinning a flashlight to see how they respond.

"There are no signs of a concussion, but that doesn't mean you don't have a small one. Tomorrow take it easy and make sure to ice where you hit your head," Hershel walked back over to the bed, gathering all the supplies he brought in and wiping his hands off on a rag. "No going out tomorrow. I'm sure Rick and Shane will be happy to go look for the girl."

Both Ace and Daryl rolled their eyes, knowing that was a joke. But neither of them got time to say anything before Hershel left the room, shutting the door behind him.

The silence that followed was _strangling_ the two.

"Gonna eat," Ace mumbled, not daring to look at Daryl as she got up, immediately shuffling out the door.

As she left the room, she could see most of the group in the kitchen. It looked like they were starting to clean up and she hoped they had some food left over. For once her meds didn't make her feel sick, which just left her stomach feeling completely empty as ever. She could use some food, especially at the rare times her body can actually hold it down.

When Ace walked into the kitchen, Lori was the first one to notice Ace as she walked in, but she didn't stop from wiping off the dishes in the sink.

"Carol saved a plate of food, it's on the table," Lori said. Ace glanced over to see the plate, which was obviously only made for Daryl. She guesses Carol wanted her to starve now? Huh. Wonder who will look for Sophia when Ace is dead via starvation? Since she's the only one doing it.

Ignoring it, Ace went over and grabbed the plate, making sure she got another fork with it. "Thank you," she said to Lori, who now looked over at Ace.

"How'd it go today?"

Ace was very surprised that Lori was talking to her, but she tried not to show it as she cleared her throat and looked over. "Good, uh," Ace stumbled, only being able to remember Daryl falling on top of her. "Cut the grid in half again."

Lori nodded, sending a forced smile. "We'll find her."

Ace nodded back in agreement, watching as Lori turned back around to continue with the dishes. Ace stood around in the aftermath of that odd conversation, slightly confused on what she should do. She was about to turn away when Lori stopped moving, bowing her head. "Wait," the mother called after her. Lori turned to face Ace, taking a moment to look around them. They were the only two left in the kitchen.

"Your medical experience," Lori started, her voice quiet to shield from the others. "Did you ever have any training with... childbirth?"

Ace curiously eyed Lori, who was basically whispering to her. Lori's voice had stress picking at the edges, making Ace's stomach fall.

"Uh," Ace was spinning over what Lori meant in her head. At the fear that covered the woman's face, Ace was scared to ask why. And she didn't need to, it was written all over Lori. "I've never delivered a child."

Lori's face fell, making Ace immediately speak back up, shaking her head. "But, yeah. We had training. Just in case."

Lori's eyes widened, searching Ace's face. "What about a C-section?"

Ace paused. "It's been a while," she mused, trying to think back to it. "I think I remember the basics."

Lori let out a breath Ace didn't realize she was holding so tightly. "And you're staying? With the group?"

Ace searched Lori's face, putting together all of the pieces. Lori was pregnant. And she was looking to Ace for answers. If Ace could help her, she was going to keep the baby. The weight on Ace's shoulders tripled. "Do you need me to?" Ace whispered, drilling her eyes into Lori.

Tears started to swell in Lori's eyes, both in fear but also in realization that Ace might be her saving grace. Lori nodded. "Yes."

Ace sucked in a breath. She now was tied to this group more than ever. Her stomach dropped. 9 months. That's when Lori would really need her help. That meant Ace had to stay for 9 months. Maybe during that time if she was well enough she could go off to search for Frankie, but now there was _another_ child that needed her help.

Ace simply nodded for now.

Lori gasped, letting out a breathy laugh. Lori made a quick movement to wrap her arms around Ace in a hug. "Thank you," Lori breathed. Ace tensed in surprise, the touch making her freeze. Now twice in this day has she touched someone she didn't mean to. It had been a long time.

Lori noticed and pulled away, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry."

Ace just offered a small smile, brushing it off.

"Um," Lori cleared her throat. "You should bring some of that to Daryl." Lori pointed to the plate in Ace's hands, changing the subject. Lori turned around to set down the dishrag, brushing her hands onto her jeans. She was headed out of the house to go speak to Rick, but paused to look at Ace once more. "Thank you, Ace."

Ace just nodded, watching as Lori left the kitchen and went outside.

Ace was dumbfounded, not sure what the hell just happened. Or what the hell she was going to do.

For now, all she knew was that she really didn't want to go back into Daryl's room. But as she glanced around, no one was left in the house. Daryl hadn't gotten any food and it was on Ace to not starve him.

She groaned, dragging her feet to his room.

Ace paused outside of the door, knowing she was really going to push his buttons by showing back up here. And it was pushing Ace's buttons, too, the way Daryl made her feel like shit. It wasn't her fault he landed on top of her. He didn't have to be so nasty about it. Maybe he didn't care for her, after all. And now she was stuck with this group and Daryl would want nothing to do with her.

Ace knocked on the door, wanting to get in and out as fast as she could. He still had to eat.

Daryl grunted from the other side of the door, telling Ace it was fine if she came in. She paused, sucking in a breath before she pushed open the door. She glanced quickly at him. He was pulling the covers up to cover himself, making her eyes cast down. "Lori made a plate."

Daryl grunted again.

Ace walked over and set it on the bedside table.

"That all that was left?" Daryl grumbled.

Ace nodded. She was about to leave, but Daryl was squinting at her. "Ya eat any?" He asked. Ace shook her head.

Daryl sat up and put the plate in the middle of the bed, signaling Ace over. She was surprised, to say the least. She was waiting for Daryl to tell her to get out of here. Afraid to stir up anymore trouble, she came and sat on the edge of the bed opposite from him.

He handed her a fork, keeping one for himself.

They both ate in silence for a while, Daryl inhaling the potatoes but trying to save Ace at least half. He had to have her keep her strength up to keep looking at least. That's the main reason he told himself he cared. Neither of them looked at each other.

When they finished, Daryl tossed his fork on the plate and leaned back again, letting out a grunt of satisfaction as he obnoxiously spread his legs back out. It seemed he was loosening up a bit, not nearly as angry with her presence as before.

Ace sat back a bit, wondering if that meant it was okay now. "We stuck here again tomorrow?"

"Probably," Daryl grumbled, looking across the room.

It seemed he didn't want to talk yet, so Ace shut her mouth. She wasn't gonna push it. Silence was better than him yelling. She glanced over to where the kitchen was, her mind drifting to the conversation she just had with Lori.

Daryl noticed her spaced out, thinking hard about something. He was curious, but just looked away. He didn't want to look at her, not with all the shit in his head. She probably wanted nothing to do with him, either.

When Ace was able to snap herself out of her thoughts, she stood up. The tension was thick in the room and she wanted to go catch her breath. Daryl didn't look at her again as she gathered the plate. Not until she walked to the door.

"Take my cot again," Daryl said. "Since m' stuck here."

Daryl spared one quick glance to Ace, looking at the shirt she was wearing. It was his. It made him quickly dart his eyes away again.

"Thanks," was all Ace said before she went to exit the room.

Daryl watched silently as she left. "Yeah," he mumbled before she stepped out and shut the door behind her. He sighed and flipped over onto his side, staring ahead at the wall while he thought.

He was angry 'cause that stupid girl was making him a softy. What the hell did she even do? She thought they were similar or somethin.

But the thing was she didn't _do_ anything. It was Daryl that was offering her his cot, she didn't even ask. It was him that gave her that shirt. What the fuck was wrong with him?

He needed to get away from her, she was just messing with his head. Distracting him from the task at hand. At first he had told himself the only reason he was so damn interested was because something was up with her. He thought she was bit, had to keep an eye out for the group. Now he couldn't stop with her. He was waiting for her to yell at him, tell him to get. But she never did. She just kept fuckin' hanging around him. What was about him that made her do that, he had no clue. He was nothing special.

After today, he wanted nothing more than to escape this.

Ace went to drop the plate off in the kitchen and then dragged herself out of the house, constantly turning over thoughts in her head about today. When she walked outside, she immediately felt the chill of the night. It was completely dark out and she blindly walked towards the RV.

She didn't see Rick or Lori. She wondered if anyone else knew Lori was pregnant, or if that was all on her.

When she went inside, she found Andrea and Carol already fast asleep in their usual spots in the RV. T-dog was sitting awake by the table, giving her a small smile as she walked in. Ace sent a shy one back as she walked over to grab her things.

T-dog was blocking the way to her bag, so he handed it to her as she came over. "How good were those potatoes tonight?" T-dog said, whispering slightly with a smile.

Ace laughed a bit. "Really good."

"Patricia made them from scratch," he smiled. The fact that they were homemade made them even better. "Oh, by the way, we're doing some gun training tomorrow out in the fields," T-dog mentioned. "Shane said you might be able to help."

Although curious what Shane was speaking of her for, Ace nodded, slinging her pack over her shoulders. "Sure."

"Cool," T-Dog nodded. "Well, I'm gonna try to catch some Z's. You sleeping in Dixon's tent again tonight?"

Ace was a bit taken off guard, choking on her words. "Uh-yeah.. Yeah."

"Don't know how you convinced him on that one. Would'a bit the head off any of us who even asked," T-Dog laughed to himself, started to get situated in his bed.

Ace forced a bit of a laugh, his words making her stumble.

"Catch ya tomorrow," T-Dog said, finally propping his head up and shutting his eyes.

"Night," Ace mumbled, quietly turning and walking out of the RV.

She let the door close silently behind her and started towards Daryl's tent, trying to shake off her awkward nerves from all these strange conversations today. It is so much easier to just be on her own for the lone fact that she can avoid people. But what T-Dog said was running around in her head. Daryl would have bit the head off of anyone else that tried? But he offered her the cot?

Ace didn't understand a single thing about Daryl right now. And the way he avoided her like the plague today made her even more confused. Although, he still offered her his cot. Ace gulped, pausing outside his tent. Her eyes then fell downwards to the shirt of his she was wearing.

Ace didn't know what this meant for Daryl, but as she stood there, she realized it meant something to her. She cared for him. Even if Daryl only was being like this to her cause of Merle or cause of Sophia, he had weaseled his way into her head. And now, even over her cancer, he was all Ace could think about.

Ace unzipped the tent flap, wanting to shield herself from the world. She stepped in, taking her boots off immediately to not track any mud in.

After she zipped up the tent behind her, she walked over and nearly collapsed on the cot. After she did, she let out a long sigh, staring down at her backpack. She knows she should take her pills, at least to not upset Dale even more so he doesn't freak out on her like everyone else today. Who knew she could cause so much worry?

What the hell was happening to her?

With a huff, she opened up her backpack and started pulling out pill after pill. She practically downed them all at once, drinking the rest of the water in her canteen with them. She shoved everything into her backpack after and then laid down, finally letting her body rest for the day.

After wrapping herself up in Daryl's sleeping bag, she had hoped it would only take a few minutes for her to pass out. Instead she laid there, eyes wide open as she thought about the people in this group. Dale, Lori, Sophia. And Daryl.

It was the thought of abandoning Frankie that had Ace rolling over, forcing her eyes shut.


	30. To Be Here

The next morning, Ace was back to her usual early wake up time.

Ace was up quickly, pulling on her boots and grabbing her bag before stepping out of the tent. She left it like she wasn't even in there. And she got up at first light, not wanting to risk running into Daryl this morning.

She took a moment to go over by the nearest tree and brush her teeth with the travel toothbrush and tooth paste she packed what seems like ages ago. She knows she'll have to get some more soon, hygiene is still somewhat important. Ace retied up her hair that got messy from the woods and her sleep yesterday and worked up the guts to take her pills, once again. Dale would be proud of her, hopefully more proud than he will be upset.

Trying not to think about it, Ace started to head towards the RV. She passed by the campfire they must of had going last night. Ace made her footsteps were barely audible, not wanting to wake anyone else sleeping in the nearby tents.

The sun was just starting to come up, brightening the camp near the horizon of the sky. Ace was surprised to see Rick, Carl, and Shane already up as well. It was too early for them to be awake.

"Ace, morning," Rick called her over, noticing as she approached. "We're about to head over to set up for gun training today, feeling up for it?"

Ace nodded, glad to be given something productive to do. She knows she probably would be exiled from the group or something if she even attempted to go looking for Sophia again after yesterday.

She took a moment to look between the three, wondering if they knew about Lori yet. Ace gulped at the stress that caused her.

"Great," Rick nodded in acceptance, walking over to Shane's car with a hand on his hip-holster. Ace followed after, getting a greeting nod from Shane as they approached him. He was putting boxes of old cans and bottles into the trunk. Carl was leaning against the side door, looking almost as good as new.

A tiny smile worked its way up Ace's face as he waved at her. "How're you feelin'?"

"Good," Carl stood up straight. "Are you helping train today? My dad says you're good with guns."

Ace felt almost flattered by Carl, in a silly way. "Yeah," she nodded at him.

"I told my dad I wanted you to train me. He said we'll have to see, though," Carl shrugged, rolling a small rock around in his fingers.

Ace smiled to herself a bit. "I'd be happy to."

"Happy to what?" Rick asked non-chalantly as he walked up with another box of bottles to throw in the back.

"Help train me today," Carl said proudly. Ace glanced over at Rick, not wanting to step on his toes with his son.

Rick looked at her and smirked, breathing a laugh. "We'll see."

Carl nodded. "Told you," he joked under his breath, glancing up at Ace. She smiled at him.

"Alright, ready?" Rick asked, closing the trunk.

With that, they all got in the car. Rick and Shane climbing in the front seat, Shane driving. Ace assumed that everyone else would meet them up there in a bit after they set it all up. Carl was just along for the ride with his dad.

Ace doesn't necessarily know why she was brought along, but she figures it's for the best. Rick and Shane alone tends to get... tense. And maybe Rick was trying to keep her busy so she didn't run off again today.

All Ace could think about as they drove was Lori.

They drove a few miles down, down to the edge of the farm where the wooden fence was set up to line the private property. It was far enough away to spare the farm house the noise, and hopefully not to bring any walkers. Ace was a bit unsure of it, not enjoying the thought of how much gun fire was about to go on, but sucked it up and climbed out of the car behind everyone else.

Shane was unloading the trunk, handing everyone a box of targets. When Ace went to get hers, they met eyes and he gave her a nod. Ace was unsure how Shane felt about her, but it seemed he had nothing negative to share this morning.

Ace walked over to the fence, starting to set up bottles and old cans along the top, spreading them apart a decent distance between each. Her mind was running as she did, glancing over to Rick and Shane. Rick was talking to Carl and Shane kept eyeing them. He had that look again, the one of jealousy and anger. Ace looked away.

Her mind wandered to Daryl, wondering if he'd actually stay on bed rest today. She didn't want him going out to look for Sophia. She didn't want him to go without her.

"Ace," Rick got her attention.

Ace turned around, seeing Shane and Carl busy across the fence. Rick came over to her privately. "Can I speak with you?"

Ace flicked her eyes to him, nodding a bit nervously. She had an idea what he wanted, but honestly could not tell.

Rick held a hand out to walk her a little further away from Carl and Shane so they could be in private. Ace bit at her lip. He could want a million things. Maybe he was mad about her leaving yesterday. Maybe Dale told him about her cancer. Maybe Daryl had done something.

Ace looked up to Rick expectantly as he stopped walking, placing his hands on his hips. "Lori told me she spoke with you yesterday."

Ace huffed out a breath, sending a fast nod. Thank god Lori told him, Ace was spiraling over that information.

"She said you might have experience. That you would be willing to help us?" Rick questioned. His voice was almost desperate. He was exhausted, this information eating away at his mental state.

Ace knew what her answer here was going to mean. If she committed to helping them, she was giving up on Frankie. If she didn't help them, she was giving up on everything she thought she was as a person. She couldn't leave that new baby to die. A baby that has a chance, one Ace was no longer sure Frankie had.

"I don't have much experience," Ace explained quietly, not wanting to get their hopes up. "But I know a bit. I can _try_."

Rick nodded, his head falling down. He let out a breath of relief. "I was thinkin'," he started, looking back up to Ace. "You and Hershel. You both have experience. Maybe you two together... Would give us a chance."

Ace gulped, she had been avoiding the doctor. She was afraid of her cancer so much so that she avoided that man all together, afraid it would lead to her spilling the beans. She wasn't ready to tell anyone, she had to find her plan first. She needed to find a hospital, get some supplies. Maybe Lori's pregnancy would give her a chance to do that.

"I can talk to him," Ace offered, still quiet.

Rick nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. " _Thank you_."

Ace nodded back, meeting his eyes. This group is now fully under her skin. She is fully invested. Unfortunately this is who she was. She couldn't just not help them.

A car coming up the dirt road had Rick dropping his hand, taking a few steps back.

It was the blue truck that belonged to them at the farm, full of people. Ace recognized Beth, having made a note to remember her name, but it took her a second to thing of the names of the other two. It was Beth's boyfriend and the one that was married to Otis. Patricia and Jimmy.

Thinking of Otis had her forgetting what their names were, glancing to Shane again. He wasn't looking at them, just limping over to the truck. His ankle still wasn't healed.

Behind them came Andrea, T-Dog, Carol, and Lori, all going over. As Rick went to join up with Lori, Lori looked over and sent Ace a nod. Ace returned it, now knowing she had no way out of this.

Ace sighed and went to the car by Shane, discarding her empty box. Shane looked at her as she did and they met eyes. His held so much, like he wanted to say something, but then knew with all the people around them, he couldn't.

"Where'd you learn to shoot?" He settled with, looking away and pushing everything back inside the trunk.

Ace took a moment to respond, watching him a bit. "Uh," she thought of what to say. She didn't want to tell Shane much, but figured it would help him not be so aggressive towards her. She was going to have to deal with him now. "My dad- _foster_ dad," she looked away to the box near her hand. It felt weird to call him dad. He wasn't a good guy, and wasn't looking out for her when he taught her all this stuff. He was lookin' out for himself and his property when he left her alone for days, weeks on end. She wasn't with him for long. He got in a bar fight and ended up in jail.

Shane looked at her, slightly surprised by this piece of information he had no clue about. It wasn't a big deal, but it was strange to know anything personal about Ace. No one really did. Besides Dale, Daryl was the only one who knew shit, half of it he figured out himself.

"You're good with other weapons. He teach you that, too?" Shane questioned.

Ace met his eyes, biting on her cheek, and just nodded.

Luckily, their attention was drawn over by Rick, who was explaining to everyone how this was about to go. Shane shut the trunk and him and Ace went over, listening and watching as everyone got set up. They were each going to help a person, watching over the rest. Rick went over explaining the distance, set up, safety, and so on. Everyone was trying to listen as best as the could, eventually getting into position.

It was when Shane started to speak that Ace's full attention was caught. 

When Ace went to go help, she stopped when she saw Andrea, growing angry as she watched her. Maybe she should have trained before she thought it was a great idea to try and snipe a walker that her dumb-ass didn't realize was Daryl. Thinking of Daryl, Ace shook it off.

To her left was Carol, who Ace was just as not pleased with. And it was even worse that she still felt guilty towards this woman.

T-Dog noticed her glare and came over, leaning over. He almost chuckled. "Go help Beth. Before you kill someone."

Ace stumbled from being caught in her anger, but nodded, turning to go help Beth who was fumbling with the weight of the gun in her hand.

"Hey," Beth smiled at her sweetly. Ace returned it weakly, stepping over to lift her hands up to show her how to hold it correctly.

"Always at the ground or straight ahead, never at anybody else," Ace said, speaking only loud enough for Beth to hear. She wasn't great at 'giving orders'. Beth nodded and fixed her posture.

Ace started to point out the parts of the gun and instructed Beth on how to load and cock it. Before long they were all off, attempting to hit their targets. They actually started to hit a bunch after a little bit. It was impressive.

After a bit, Ace was walking around, watching, but stopping by Carl who was struggling to hit his target. He was getting a bit discouraged. Ace came over and crouched down beside him. "Like this," She said lowly, lightly pushing his arms up higher and tapping on his back to signal for him to straighten out. "Spread your feet out a bit more."

Carl listened, looking at her for approval at his stance. Ace smiled a bit and nodded. "Now, look past the top of the gun to aim," Ace pointed in front of him. "Then breathe out. And at the end of your breath, pull the trigger."

Carl looked at her and nodded before turning to the can he was aiming for and studying his stance. At this point almost everyone was watching, not that Carl noticed. But Ace did, she was sure none of them had even heard her talk, at least not like she did to Carl. Little did they know she actually had worthy things to say.

Ace stood and stepped back, watching as Carl aimed, let out a breath, and pulled the trigger. The can went flying off the fence.

Carl turned to Ace and smiled big. "Did you see that!"

"Well done," Rick said, coming over to pat Carl on the shoulder. He smiled at his son, but when Ace looked over to Lori, she was just looking back at her, wary.

"Keep practicing," Rick said to Carl, who started to do just that.

Ace sighed and turned to keep walking, but not before she met eyes with Rick. He gave her a nod, impressed on how well she'd done, and has done, with his son.

Ace nodded back before continuing to give what small help she could.

__

Gun training ended not much later after it started, for everyone only had about three rounds each and they wanted to keep the noise at a minimum.

When they got back to camp, Ace stood next to the car Rick had them gather at again, wanting to discuss the plan for finding Sophia today. Although Ace knew she would get scolded if she tried to go out again, she still joined to listen. She had to be satisfied or else she didn't know if she'd be able to sit here all day.

When they broke up, Ace needed something to keep her entertained for the day. Her first instinct was to look around for Daryl, but she instantly shook that off. He didn't want to be around her, she remembered. Ace probably should stay away from him, too. Her feelings towards him were confused.

Ace figured she should go find Dale. She hadn't seen him yesterday after finding out he was worked up over her leaving. She probably should make amends and apologize.

Ace threw the strap of her bag on her shoulder and weaved through the other tents to head over to the RV. Glenn was up on watch and he waved at her as she approached. Ace sent an acknowledging smile and nod at him before going up the steps and opening the door to inside.

She glanced around, not seeing Dale. She did see Carol sitting in the back of the RV by the bed, doing what looked to be knitting. Carol looked up as she heard Ace enter, and her face wasn't happy to see her. Granted, it wasn't happy very much anymore, but it was never soft like it was towards the others.

Ace felt bad for only a moment, but then just shook her head and turned back around to leave before Carol decided to guilt trip her once again. Ace had tried to make up for it, and she thought pouring her heart, soul, and almost life into the search would be something that Carol would respect. But no. Ace just has to live with it.

Ace looked around when she got back outside, shielding her eyes from the sun, trying to find Dale. She decided to take her chances looking inside the house, hoping he'd give her something to do. She couldn't just sit around all day. It felt wrong.

As she walked over, Ace felt sweat build on her forehead and back. The heat was getting to her, making her feel even more dirty than she already was. She just hoped she wouldn't start feeling sick today. Even though her back was starting to get to her already.

She had no luck finding Dale in the house, but did find Beth in the kitchen. Beth got her attention, speaking to her about gun training and thanking her for the help. Ace nodded, glad she was of use. Beth even offered her some food, to which Ace remembered she owed Carl some cookies for beating her in cards.

The rest of the day was uneventful.

Ace was chewing herself up for not doing anything. If not looking for Sophia, Ace had nothing to distract her. Now she was stuck to really feel the impact of staying on this farm. Looking for Sophia had made her feel better about not looking for Frankie. It also gave her something to push off dealing with her cancer.

Now, Ace realized the gravity of her situation. She was stuck here now, she had made her decision. She gave up on Frankie. Although she told herself it was to regain health so she could have strength to search for Frankie in the future, Ace thought about Lori. Lori was going to need her help nine months from now when that baby was born.

Ace really had given up on Frankie. And it was killing her.

To make herself feel better, she found Carl by the campfire and brought him his cookies. She sat with him and enjoyed his company for a while, until Lori came over and told him it was time to do some school work. Lori smiled at Ace as she walked off, looking like she had a few things she wanted to say, but not around Carl. Ace knew there was a conversation to be had about Lori's health. And Ace needed to speak to Hershel like she promised Rick.

But Ace wasn't ready for that just yet.

Instead, she helped T-Dog collect some fire wood for a little bit, which they chopped up over by the barn. She sat on watch for the rest of the day, enjoying the time she could have alone. She needed to think about what to do with her cancer. Ace still didn't want to get the group involved, not yet. At least not until they found Sophia. And if Ace had to go on a run to a hospital, she didn't want to guilt anyone else into joining her.

She decided she would wait a little longer, stick to taking the pills she had. After they found Sophia, she would regroup and reanalyze her next move. Things were just to frantic in her head right now.

Eventually Glenn came back from his run into town with Maggie and swapped shifts on watch with Ace.

Ace went and sat by the ashes in the fire pit, digging her knife into the dirt as she sat alone on a log. T-Dog would be over soon to make dinner and Ace figured she would help him. She liked T-Dog, he was always kind to her. And he never asked questions or poked at Ace. It was simple when she was with him, which she appreciated.

And the opposite of simple was emerging from his tent, shuffling over to the camp.

Ace looked up as Daryl plopped down into a folding chair across from her. He huffed as he got comfortable, his stitches still bothering him.

He didn't say anything once he sat, driving Ace insane. He just sat with her in silence. She had thought he didn't want anything to do with her after yesterday. Maybe after the entire day of not seeing each other he was getting over it?

Ace didn't know what to think. One second Daryl was yelling at her, the next second he was fine with being near her. She couldn't figure out if he wanted nothing to do with her or if she could seek out friendship with him. He was peculiar, that she knows.

It was just bothering her. She doesn't know why, but it doesn't feel good for someone to literally run from you because you accidentally got to close. It's like she grossed him out.

Ace didn't ask any questions, wary of pushing him. She could figure out a few things about Daryl, especially after spending time with Merle. He wasn't like the other people here. His life had never been like other people's.

Eventually, Ace became comfortable in the silence again. Something both her and Daryl were good at.

"Never thought I'd be bored again," Daryl's raspy southern drawl cut through the silence. Ace popped her head up. So he was speaking to her now?

"Better than killin' walkers," Ace mumbled, still playing with her knife. She would act normal, maybe this was Daryl's way of making amends.

Daryl huffed in response, sort of agreeing.

They fell into a comfortable silence, both just sitting and thinking. It was much better than the company you get with the rest of the group. They didn't have to put effort into it, especially now that things felt a little bit more normal between the two.

Some of the others from the group eventually made their way over, it being time for dinner. They were all slightly taken aback by Daryl and Ace, sitting next to each other, obviously keeping the other company. It was weird to see Daryl with a person... it was unlike him. At least to them it seemed that way.

Daryl tensed when eyes fell on him, fearful that they were thinking exactly what they were. It wasn't anyones damn business, but he for some reason hated the thought of comments coming to him about Ace. He stood up and hunched over to grab some squirrel, separating himself from the girl in front of the others.

"Shit, I'm starvin'!" T-Dog laughed as he came over, rubbing his hands together.

"That makes two of us," Andrea agreed, leaning against a tree as she waited for the food to cook.

Ace glanced at her, then Carol who came out of the RV, and felt like she wanted to leave. It was strange for her to be hanging around with the whole group. She still felt out of place. Daryl at her side was the only thing that gave her a place.

Carol passed out some plates and plastic forks, Lori coming around to pour some food on everyone's after. It was awkward for Ace, for neither of them looked at her as they did. Ace didn't look up from her plate as she ate, just listening and not partaking in the conversations around her. Daryl did the same, too busy scarfing down his food, protecting it with his arm up as he did.

Daryl glanced up to watch as Ace stood, having actually finished all her food. She went to discard her plate in the dirty bin and then silently walked out of their circle, heading to the RV. A few people noticed, but it wasn't unusual, for she was the outsider.

Ace went to the back of the RV and climbed up the ladder to the top. She figured she let Glenn go eat. He'd enjoy that time with everyone much more, anyway. He was happy to let her take over watch, handing her the binoculars and rifle and hurrying down for food.

Ace walked over to the small folding chair under Dale's umbrella and sat, leaning forward and placing the gun between her knees to rest.

Her mind was running, as usual, but she enjoyed the view of the miles of farm that were being lit up by the golden sun, starting its decent downwards. She tried to clear her head. She had been stuck in it too much today.

She sat there for what felt like hours, carefully watching over the farm. She kept tabs on what people throughout the group were doing, most of them still hanging out around the campsite. Besides a few, like Daryl who retreated back into his tent.

"Welcome back."

Dale joining her up on the RV got Ace to glance behind her shoulder, sending a sheepish smile as he came over, she hadn't even heard him come up. The sun at this point had started to go down and people were either in the house or in the RV, cleaning up from the day.

Dale held out a small bowl to Ace as he stood next to her. "T-Dog made some beans. Glenn said you didn't have any," he spoke softly. Ace took the baked beans from Dale, thanking him with her same smile. It was quiet for a moment and Ace felt bad again for leaving yesterday and making him worried. She would never have guessed she could cause such a mess here.

"I heard you might have found Sophia's trail," Dale said and Ace gnawed on her cheek.

"I'm sorry," Ace knew what he was getting at.

"I was worried," Dale stated, giving her a look.

"I know," Ace looked down.

"This is why I think other people should know. If something were to happen..." Dale trailed off and Ace quickly shot him a look that got him to raise his hands up and speak before she did. "I know, I know. I'm just saying."

Ace sighed and looked down to her bowl, swirling the beans around with the spoon.

"I brought you this," Dale cleared his throat, seeming to forgive her for the mess she has been causing him. She looked up and saw him handing her a book with a funny smile. She curiously took it, setting her food down to flip through some of the first pages. "If I knew the world was ending, I would have brought better books," Dale laughed, getting Ace to smile a bit. "But, I thought this would be entertaining enough while you're up here."

Ace happily flipped over to read the back for a description, squinting and looking closely at the words which blurred in front of her eyes. Dale noticed her struggle.

"Losing your eyesight?" Dale joked. "Must be getting as old as me."

Dale laughed slightly but of course, did not miss her worried expression. He reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out his glasses. "Here," he offered them, getting Ace to scrunch her face even more. "They're extras," Dale stopped her from telling him no. "I have another pair inside."

Ace hesitantly took them from him, a bit unsure as she did. She glanced up at him once more before putting them on.

"Oh," Ace couldn't help herself from saying, surprised at how much better she could actually see. It wasn't perfect, but she finally felt like she felt some relief, even if she didn't know she was having trouble in the first place. She always assumed it was the sun.

Dale smiled at her as she looked up at him. "I brought your bag as well," he remembered, reaching to his back to pull it off. That was his way of reminding her to take her pills.

"Thanks," Ace said, grabbing it from him and setting it down beside her.

Dale nodded. "I'll leave you to it then."

Ace nodded, watching as Dale turned and walked away, leaving her alone again up here. He seemed much more pleased now. Ace's heart throbbed at how caring he was towards her. And he never showed once that it bothered him to do so. Ace let out a huff and grabbed her beans again, slowly starting to eat them over all the stuff she had in her lap. She didn't eat much, for she didn't want to push herself. And she had to take her pills.

She put that off for a bit, waiting until it was fully dark and everyone seemed to go to bed.

Her hopelessness had returned like it always does when she goes through pill bottle after pill bottle. She knew she was getting worse and had no clue how this was going to play out. She had no clue when she was going to die.

When she had taken them all, Ace leaned back in the chair, setting all the things on her lap down or in her bag. She watched over the farm for a little while longer, being sure everyone was in bed when she decided she was tired enough now to sleep.

Climbing down over the RV, Ace noticed Shane was still up and near the campfire. He spotted her when she came down, immediately standing up to go over. "I'll take watch," Shane demanded, holding his hand out for the gun. That worked out for Ace well so she pulled the rifle off her shoulder and placed it in his hands.

"I'm not leaving anymore," Shane informed her, his voice quiet so no one would hear. Ace wasn't expecting him to speak to her, so she glanced up curiously. "Figured I'd give it a shot here. For them, yanno?"

Ace wondered if Shane knew Lori was pregnant, and thats what was causing all of this.

"You still planning on heading out?" Shane asked.

"No," Ace stated simply. Although, it still caused guilt to twist her stomach. She too had to give it a shot here. For them. And herself.

Shane's head turned to the side in curiosity as he looked at her, wondering what changed her mind. "'Cause of Dixon?"

"What?" Ace immediately breathed, taken aback by his words.

"Seen how you two are," Shane squinted at her for only a moment. "Never mind."

Ace turned to watch Shane's back as he stalked over to the RV, leaving her with a very confusing conversation to think over. When his figure succumbed to the darkness, Ace looked away. Because of Dixon? What did Shane see? What was Ace missing?

Ace couldn't see anything between all of Daryls flipping moods. She knew they kept a bit closer together because of their search for Sophia, but thats cause none of the rest of them did enough. Right? Or was it because of Merle?

Ace wanted to go to bed, she couldn't handle this confusion anymore. But when she glanced to the RV, she realized the only place she had to sleep on this farm lately was in Daryl's tent.

Maybe thats what they saw. She was sleeping in his bed, that could lead to some rumors. But he had offered because he was stuck inside. And after that day they went through hell on the quarry, Daryl was just giving her a bed to heal. It was nothing more than that, right?

Ace didn't know her feet were moving before she was already on her way towards Daryl's tent. She stopped in front of it. What was she doing? He was probably asleep. Its not like there was a door to knock on. She should go. What the hell was she doing?

"Can see ya shadow. T'hell do ya want?" Daryl snapped out from inside. He couldn't tell who it was, but was irritated someone was bothering him. Ain't anyone know you're supposed to sleep when its dark?

Ace cursed to herself, debating if she should just leave. But Daryl's voice had startled her enough to forget what she was thinking. She sucked in a breath and unzipped his tent.

Daryl squinted when he saw Ace. "What ya want?"

Ace stood there, running that over a thousand times in her head. What _did_ she want? What was she _doing_? "I've been sleeping here," was all she said, shifting on her feet.

"Well, now ya ain't. Get t'hell out." Daryl threw his arm out, rolling over on his side to not look at her. She was stressin' him out, he couldn't figure out what the hell he was doin' with the girl.

When silence lingered, Daryl peaked over his shoulder. Ace's face had fallen, slightly offended at his anger with her. Normally, Daryl's anger didn't bother her. But now, after all the confusion with Daryl, she was slightly hurt that he actually did want nothing to do with her. Beats her as to why.

Ace send a nod, not looking up as she turned to head out. She shouldn't have come over here in the first place. She knew better than to push.

Daryl hesitated as he watched her. He cursed to himself. " _Fine_ ," he grumbled. Cause she had no where else to sleep, thats what he told himself. Thats all. "Take the floor."

Daryl spoke roughly, now looking away and not daring to meet her eyes again. Ace stood frozen at the doorway, not being able to get her feet to move. She searched him for answers, but of course got none. Ace debated on leaving anyway.

Daryl chucked an extra blanket onto the floor before rolling over and ignoring her. Seemed like she would just piss him off more if she left now.

Ace didn't make a sound as she zipped the tent behind her and stepped over to her spot on the floor. She didn't look over at him once as she sat down, throwing her bag down next to the blanket. Daryl's eyes were peaked open, but his back was to her. He did his best to listen to what she was doing, only hearing her pulling off her boots.

He was damn stupid for letting her in here. But still, he grabbed one of his pillows and threw it down, too. "Best be gone by morning," he grumbled, still looking away.

Ace was quiet as she took the pillow and laid down. Her heart was thumping in her chest as she did. It was silent in the tent between them now and Ace could hear Daryl moving around on his cot, shuffling to get comfortable.

It seemed neither of them could relax as they laid next to each other, minds running a mine a minute.


	31. Kill Or Be Killed

In the morning, Ace was up before the sun was.

Normally her medicine would knock her right out when she takes them as late as she did last night, but Ace was too worked up this morning. Daryl had told her to get out by morning. Ace was scared of what would happen if she didn't. She also was curious as to why Daryl absolutely did not want her here in the morning. Ace spun what his reasoning could be around in her head, taking a careful glance up to him. He seemed to be asleep, but Ace couldn't tell. In fact, she couldn't tell much about Daryl. She wished she could.

But it was actually a good thing at the moment, because it meant Daryl was still asleep. Meaning he didn't have to watch the realization cross Ace's face when she felt like she was going to be sick. She must have gotten up too fast because all of the sudden, she felt like her head was spinning off her neck.

Ace gripped onto the blanket and squeezed her eyes, willing herself to not puke. Not this close to everyone and all of the other tents. Not this close to a sleeping Daryl. Ace carefully breathed in and out for a couple minutes. And thankfully, the feeling passed. She was still dizzy and felt like shit, but she knew she was bound to feel this way again after having so many good days in a row. It just sucks.

Ace tried to get up, but took another second to compose herself. She definitely felt exhausted as she rubbed at her eyes.

As she stretched, she looked around Daryl's tent, everything becoming familiar like it was her own. She sighed to herself at how backwards that was and started to push off the floor, dragging over her boots and pulling them on. She silently snuck out of the tent, bag in hand.

She moved the tent zipper as quietly as possible, making it take forever. Although, at the grey state of the morning, the sun wasn't even fully up yet. No one was awake. This is what Daryl had wanted, although it made her frown.

When Ace backed away from the tent, her eyes immediately scanned her surroundings, falling on the RV. Shane was up on top, still on watch. He looked right at her, giving her an annoying look. Ace quickly looked away and turned around, going anywhere but near him. She didn't need to hear his comments again. And she didn't need to bring this all up. Daryl might kill her.

Ace wandered the permitter of the farm as she walked over to the stables. She needed some space to think. And practice hygiene. When she got to the stables, she pulled out a toothbrush and paste. She splashed some water on her face, too, trying to wake herself up. For a moment, Ace was angry that Daryl made her leave so early. She was tired, probably could've slept more. Although, being next to Daryl made it hard to sleep, anyway. Ace just couldn't stop thinking about him.

Ace continued to follow the permitter of the farm until the sun came up, a million thoughts on her mind. For a moment, she glanced at the farm house. She knew she needed to speak to Hershel some time soon. But, she had nine months to worry about Lori, so she would take it one day at a time. Right now they needed to worry about Sophia.

When heads started to poke out of tents back at camp, Ace turned in that direction. She needed to hear the plan for Sophia today, anxious to find out if she would be allowed to go out now.

Arriving back at camp, most of the group was awake. They were all surrounding the little fire pit.

Ace caught the attention of nearly everyone as she walked over and looked around. Carol and T-Dog were cooking eggs over the fire, Andrea was sitting on a log sharpening her knife, Shane was pacing as he ate standing up, Rick, Lori, and Carl all sat by the laundry string while they ate, Dale was cooking on his mini grill, and Daryl and Glenn were sitting on the edge of lawn chairs.

Ace noticed it was really quiet, almost eerie as she walked over to the table Dale was at with the plates. No one was talking, everyone was just sort of awake in the same area. Coexisting, perhaps.

Ace was greeted with a small smile from Dale, who didn't hesitate filling her plate up with the food he was grilling, knowing Ace would try to say no if he didn't act fast. Ace didn't want to eat any of it, already being so close to sick this morning, but sent a small smile back and went to sit.

She could hear only the crackling of the fire as she walked, taking a seat on the log she was sitting on last night, daring to make split second eye contact with Daryl. He quickly looked away.

In the quiet Ace sat with them, it feeling heavy as she played with her food. She was just moving it around with her fork, not daring to look up and make awkward, silent eye contact with someone again. And she kept trying to make herself not feel sick, which she hoped no one noticed.

The sound of Andrea sharpening her knife was the only thing loud enough for Ace to hear. That is until Glenn stood up suddenly from his seat. "Uh, guys."

Ace looked up, along with everyone else, and noticed him nervously shifting on his feet. He kept glancing to the farm, and to Dale, leaving everyone waiting for what he was going to say.

"So..." Glenn rubbed his chin. " _The barns full of walkers_."

Ace could see and hear everyone freeze, the sound of their forks scraping their plates stopped, and their expressions dropping right with it. Ace felt her own heart skip a beat, which rarely ever happened. She had to be caught completely off-guard, which never really happens because she's used to reading everyone and everything so well. Except for this. She didn't see this coming. She's been distracted. She cursed to herself.

Instantly, Ace's guard was back, full on. It never really left, but being on this farm and with this group has made it lose it's touch. But not now. She instantly had her hand gripped onto the handle of her knife and she stood, ignoring all sickness as she set down her plate. This almost made her feel more sick. She hated walkers. She hated killing them, but knowing there was a whole barn full right next to her... Next to Carl and these people that she so tragically has become a part of...

Ace was right behind Shane on the march over, but Shane was close to a run. He is becoming more and more hot-headed over sitting still on this Sophia thing and listening to Rick, but Ace knows this might just be another thing to push him over that edge.

The whole group rushed over, the morning breakfast completely forgotten about. Shane was the first to get there, running up to the doors and peeking through.

Everyone else stayed back, Ace staying over to the side, watching. She wasn't sure what to do, she was on edge. But she could tell Shane wasn't going to let this slide. It was another thing to put him and Rick at odds.

Everyone was standing around watching as Shane gazed in the barn, but Ace had to know for herself. She wasn't going to stand back with the rest and let Shane be the judge of this. Ace gripped tighter onto her knife and walked over, farther down from Shane. On her way, she met eyes with Daryl, him squinting his eyes a bit, as usual.

Ace didn't let her hand leave her sheathed knife as she leaned in to look in between two planks of wood, her posture tensing when she saw the home for the dead inside. They were just wandering, the dozen or so of them there were. They were just waiting to kill or be killed.

It definitely was making her more sick.

Ace stepped away, meeting eyes with Shane as she did. He could see that she agreed with him on how insane this was, but Ace knew he was going to make a scene. She didn't agree with how he was going to handle this. And she could see the anger growing in his expression. As Shane ripped himself away from looking anymore, Ace looked back to Daryl. They had one of those moments where they seemed to share a conversation with their eyes, forgetting all about the tension between them. It was almost a warning, or a _get ready_.

"You cannot tell me you are alright with this," Shane almost growled as he marched over to Rick.

"I'm not," Rick snapped back. "But we're guests here. This isn't our land."

"God, man. This is our _lives_!" Shane pulled his hat off, stepping up to Rick.

Ace watched and heard as some of the group members commented on the walkers. No one liked it, but no one had a choice. Ace knew that Rick was trying to handle their time on Hershel's farm as best he could, but she knew it was going to fall short. And Shane knew that, too.

"We either got to go in there an' make things right, or we just got to go," Shane pointed to the barn. Ace tensed up. "We've been talking about Fort Benning for a while now.."

Ace had wanted to go to Fort Benning from the start, but not now. Not with Sophia so close. Not with her cancer. As delusional as it is. She needs answers. Maybe then they can go to Fort Benning, look for Frankie. But Ace doesn't know if she'll make it on the road. She might die.

"We can't go!"

"Why, Rick? Why?" Shane was getting heated, talking fast.

Ace clenched her fist around her knife until her knuckles turned white.

"Because my daughters still out there.." Carol muttered lightly.

"Ok-Okay," Shane breathed in, stressed. "I think it's time we just start to consider the other possibilities-"

"Shane!"

At this point Ace could sense Daryl getting worked up. It didn't take much for it.

"We're close to findin' this girl! We just found her damn doll two days ago!" Daryl jutted his hand back to point at Ace. Ace didn't move. She didn't want a place in this. She knew this group. They had to play this one out. And she'd watch. She'd get pissed and upset on how ready they were to give up, but she knew she wouldn't and she knew Daryl wouldn't and that's all that mattered. This was the group acting out that broken puzzle piece they didn't have.

"That's-Thats it, Daryl! You found a _damn doll_!" Shane laughed sarcastically, only getting Daryl more pissed.

Daryl stopped and glared at him. "Ya don't know what the hell ya talkin' about!" He yelled, his voice raspy as he swung his arm in emphasis.

"Nah, I'm just sayin' what needs to be said here! You get a good lead it's in the first 48 hours!"

"Shane! Shane!" Rick tried to stop him, but there was no way. Shane was out of control.

"No, no, and let me tell ya somethin' else, man! If she was out there and saw you comin', all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck... She'd run in the _other_ direction!"

That was it for Daryl as he lunged across to go for Shane, being held back by nearly everyone as they all started shouting. They all dove in front, besides Ace, who still stood by as the yelling continued. She was waiting for this to be done so she could think, so she could figure out what was going to happen next. What she wanted to do next.

And she was starting to know Daryl. She was starting to get used to his outbursts. He was a hot-head, just like Shane, but for so many different reasons.

Ace watched as Rick shoved Daryl back and he started taking steps away, just glaring at Shane who was now onto fighting with Rick again. Rick was trying to convince him to let him talk to Hershel. Daryl backed his way over to near Ace, standing to her side and chewing on a piece of straw in his teeth angrily.

"Ain't got nothin' to say, huh?" Daryl didn't glance to her as he asked.

Ace didn't respond, she knew better than to respond to him right now. Not like she would either way. Daryl still stayed by her, knowing that there wasn't one other person he could stand to be near right now. They're all dumb, all stupid to him. They got no idea what's goin' on.

Besides Ace.

Her presence calmed him down, in some fucked up, stupid way.

The yelling didn't stop until the doors started rattling and the walkers were growling, trying to get to the source to all the noise. Ace straightened her posture, watching the doors as they pushed outwards from all the pressure.

Everyone froze, looking at the problem they now had to deal with. And Ace knew it wasn't going to go over well.

Everyone eventually left, not saying a word to each other, just going their separate ways to try to distract themselves while Rick talked to Hershel. Ace still stayed in her spot, Daryl chewing on his straw next to her.

"Think will be here much longer?" Daryl asked, still angrily watching Shane from the distance.

Ace looked at Daryl. "Shane won't."

Daryl glanced over at her, taking in her expression. It wasn't a threat or anything spiteful, it was the truth. Shane is pulling this group apart. Ace saw the good in him, but it's slowly slipping away. She doesn't know if it can be revived and if it can't, something is going to happen to him.

Something is going to happen to all of them.

Ace couldn't allow that.


	32. Eyes To See

Daryl and Ace walked in silence back to camp.

Daryl was anxiously chewing on a piece of straw, still having anger in his system. Ace doesn't think there ever isn't any anger in him, but she could tell he was doing better at not blowing up. Hell, she was surprised he was even near her right now.

But this is a situation where everyone in the group is trying not to blow up. Everyone was running around, either trying to talk to Hershel, talk to Shane, or try to figure out what the hell they were going to do. Everyone's on edge like they should have been this whole time, not just prancing around without a care in the world.

Ace's whole body was tense, still on guard about this whole situation. She can sense that something is going to happen, something bad. This group doesn't know how to handle situations like these, and they especially don't know how to handle Shane. She's upset that this is diverting all their attention from the search for Sophia, too. It's like one distraction comes about and the entire group herds together in panic.

When they arrived back at camp, Daryl was eyeing Ace through the corner of his eye. He could see her head working in circles, like it always does, and he wondered what kind of plan she was cooking up in there. She's the only one here that actually thought shit through.

Ace walked up to the RV, quickly jogging up the stairs to run in and grab the map they've been using for the search, then coming back out. She looked at Daryl. "M' gonna take watch, try to figure out where to go next," she mumbled a bit, holding up the map. She was still nervous to speak to him, to step on his toes in some way.

Daryl squinted a bit, figuring that no one else was gonna do shit. "I'll join ya."

Ace was a bit surprised, but then again, she wasn't. He was the only other one that had his head on somewhat straight to get done what needs to get done while the rest of the group is running around like headless chickens. Ace nodded and turned to go climb up the ladder, tucking the map under her arm while she did. She pulled herself up onto the roof and walked over to the front of the RV, setting down the map and using the chair as a weight to hold it from flying away.

Daryl grunted as he hoisted himself up, his wounds still aching. He walked over as Ace kneeled down to flatten out the map. He joined her and sat down.

Ace started looking over the map, squinting as she remembered she couldn't even see. She was getting sick of all these sicknesses. Reaching into the pocket of the shirt Daryl gave her, she pulled out the pair of Dale's glasses and put them on.

"T'hell those for?" Daryl pointed, signaling at her glasses.

Ace looked up at him. "To see," she stated blandly.

Daryl squinted at her, but then just huffed. "Goin' blind now?"

Ace shrugged. "Better than seeing your face."

Daryl's eyebrow rose at the surprise of her joke, and Ace froze for a second. It had slipped out. She cringed, waiting for Daryl to say something. But all he did was snort out a laugh. Ace smirked. "Yeah, keep bein' cute, Mouse. We'll see how far that get's ya."

Ace laughed to herself and Daryl rolled his eyes, only annoyed that this girl didn't make him mad. Anyone else were to say that to him, he'd bite their head off. So fuckin' stupid. "Jus' focus on the map," Daryl pointed at it and Ace shook her head, looking back down and trying to get back into the seriousness of finding this little girl.

Ace pulled off the marker that was hooked onto the corner of the map, starting to follow all the previously crossed out spots the group had made over time. She found the spot that she had brought Daryl out to the other day and circled it.

"This was the last place we saw Sophia's tracks," Ace spoke lowly, never really announcing herself like always.

Daryl grunted in agreement. "Gotta be somewhere close."

Ace scanned over the surrounding area, trying to think of where Sophia might have ran off to. Her marker landed on a road only a mile or so down. Daryl had the same thought as she did, beating her to speak. "Might be some more housing down that road, somewhere she might'a held up in."

Ace nodded and drew a circle around the area, staring it. "Coulda gone back this way too," she mentioned, dragging the butt of the marker in the opposite direction.

There was an open grass area, maybe somewhere another building like the church could be. "Circle it," Daryl agreed.

Ace drew another circle around the general area and leaned back. They scanned over it once more, but those where the two places that they hadn't already gone to. Those were the most likely of all of them.

Daryl caught Ace off guard when he stood up, whistling loudly down to someone.

"Aye, Rick!" Daryl called, bending over to pick up the map. Ace looked, watching as Rick stopped by the RV and looked up, using his hand to shield the sun from his eyes. "Two circled places, that's where she'll be. Check 'em out," Daryl called down, chucking the map over to Rick.

Rick caught it and opened it up to see, simply nodding and folding it closed. "Andrea and I are about to head out. We'll go."

Daryl nodded, grunted, and then held on to his side as he sat back down, landing with a thud.

"Guess it's up to Tweedle-Dee," he huffed.

Ace completely agreed, wishing that she could go out there herself. But at the same time, if she did go out, she knows something would happen. Today is the weakest she's felt in a while, even with all her meds. She knows that her time of fighting is running out.

Daryl caught Ace gazing off, following her eyes to see Shane over by the barn. Rick was walking over to talk to him.

"Thought he said he was ready to head out," Daryl got her attention back, talking about Rick. Daryl was antsy. The girl ain't gonna look for herself.

Ace looked back at him, then Rick again. "He's never ready to leave," she mumbled.

Daryl nodded to himself, knowing that Rick just wanted to be all comfy and cozy, and fell back into silence. The two just sat there for a while, taking watch together. There was a lot to see today, but mostly they had their attention on the barn. It had everyone on edge. Why wouldn't it? It's full of the dead.

With a huff, Daryl laid back, propping his hands up under his head and kicking his feet out. Ace looked at him and huffed as he just laid there with his eyes closed, like he was soaking up the sun. He heard her and peaked an eye open. "Wha? Got nothin' better to do."

"Maybe take watch?" Ace asked sarcastically.

"Eh, ya got that covered," Daryl swatted and went back to closing his eyes.

Ace rolled hers and looked back over the farm, not minding that even with nothing to do, he was still willing to sit up here with her. "Rick still hasn't left yet," Ace noticed, watching him with a little agitation.

"T'hell he doin'?" Daryl asked.

"He's going somewhere with the doctor now," Ace said as she followed them with her eyes.

Daryl sat up. "When these people gonna start takin' this damn seriously?" He now was angry again, glaring at Rick as he walked off the farm. Daryl was about to get up and go say somethin' to the man, but both his and Ace's attention were drawn over by Shane stomping up to the RV.

They both stood up.

Shane didn't say anything to either of them, just ignored them and ran straight into the RV. Daryl and Ace looked at each other, having the same thought go through their head. That is until they could hear Shane making a bunch of noise in the RV. Before they could ask, he was jogging back out and looking straight up at them.

"You see where he went?" Shane demanded up at them, angry and acting like he had a beef with someone.

Ace knew exactly who. It was Dale. She saw them talking earlier, probably Dale trying to give another speech of his wisdom like he always does. Shane wouldn't have it though. And Ace knew where Dale went, too. Dale didn't think she was watching, but of course she was.

"Who?" Daryl asked, grumpy.

"Don't even try to shit me, okay?" Shane paced around. "Dale. Did you see where Dale went?" He angrily tried again.

"Aye-" Daryl took a step forward, about to snap at Shane.

"He hasn't been around," Ace quickly cut him off, lying through her teeth.

Shane looked at her. Ace knew he trusted her, knew he'd listen. That's why she lied. Because she knew Shane and knew he was up to no good. "Went to get water a while ago," she said.

"Yeah?" Shane questioned, almost testing her. Ace just gave him a look, and with those eyes of hers, she had him backing off. He wouldn't do shit to her. Not with what she knew about Otis. "Fine." With that Shane was stalking off again, heading fast towards his destination.

Ace didn't take her eyes off of him, watching where he went. He was headed towards the woods. That's where Dale actually went.

"T'hell was that all about?" Daryl questioned, swinging his arm towards Shane.

Ace ignored it and started walking across the RV to go climb down the ladder.

"Hey," Daryl called after, getting worked up about what the hell was going on.

"He's going after Dale," Ace said, starting her decent down off the RV.

Daryl followed, jumping down next to her. "Wha' for?" He asked.

Ace just looked at Daryl, who had anger lines creasing his eyes. "He's gonna start something."

Daryl looked at her for a minute, sort of knowing she was right, but still confused. "What beef he got with the old man?"

Ace thought about that for a second, besides the judgment of character those two had for each other, what did Shane actually want? It only took a second for it to click in her head and she nearly swore underneath her breath.

Daryl watched in confusion as she jogged over to the RV, running inside. He quickly followed, coming in behind her to see that the place was trashed. The bed was flipped and almost everything was pulled out of the cupboards.

Those were the two places they kept the bag.

"Guns," Ace stated, looking around.

"Well, ya right," Daryl huffed out. "He's gonna start somethin'."


	33. Lost and Found

By the time Daryl and Ace had walked over to the part of the woods Dale and Shane had went off to, the entire group was sitting on the porch of the house. Everybody except Rick. He was supposed to leave hours ago.

"Do you know what's going on?" T-Dog asked as Ace and Daryl arrived. He was with Andrea. Did T-Dog know about Shane and Dale? What else was going on? What is this group doing?

"Where is everyone?" Andrea asked. Wasn't she supposed to be looking for Sophia?

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn asked.

"No, we were supposed to leave hours ago," Andrea exclaimed, making Ace internally groan.

"Yeah you were, what the hell?" Daryl groaned externally, not afraid to show his anger. "Isn't anyone taking this seriously?! We got a damn trail!"

Daryl swung his arm in exaggeration, only to spin and see Shane rushing out of the woods. "Here we go."

Ace followed his gaze to see Shane pushing his way out of the woods. Except this time, he gripped onto the duffel bag of guns. He was walking over to them, but Ace ignored him, speed walking right past him towards the woods. She doesn't know if Shane had it in him to hurt Dale or not, but she wasn't going to put it past him. Luckily, just after she cleared a few trees, Dale was walking back as well. Ace let out a breath of relief.

"Are you okay?" Ace asked, now realizing how important Dale was in her life. He had his ways of forcing himself in.

"Don't worry about me," Dale held up his hand. "Worry about him."

Ace looked as Dale pointed right towards Shane, who had set the bag of guns down and was starting to pass them out.

Shit. Why did he have to start something? This wasn't going to go over well. It never does. They should be focusing on Sophia!

Ace quickly jogged back, only now realizing how shitty she felt today. Her stomach was rolling around inside her, and her back was sending pain all the way up her spine and down to her toes. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and tried to act normal.

Ace arrived just in time to watch Shane pass a shotgun to Daryl. "You with me man?"

Daryl, being all angered up already, grabbed it and cocked it, easily on board. Ace knew this is what had to be done, but not hostile like this. It's how Shane gets them kicked off the farm. Daryl met eyes with Ace as she walked over, standing there in his blue sleeveless flannel, swinging a shotgun around, his arms glistening from dirt and sweat. Ace had to ignore it and tear her eyes away to watch Shane shove a gun in everyone's hand.

"Time to grow up!" Shane called.

"Though we couldn't carry," T-Dog said, taking the pistol from Shane.

"We can and we have to," Shane stepped back, looking at everyone as the rest of the group arrived, making long eye contact with Lori. "Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't."

Shane walked over to Glenn, holding out a double-barrel. "How bout you, man? Gonna protect what's yours?"

Glenn looked to Maggie next to him and took the gun from Shane.

"Can you shoot?" Shane asked Maggie.

"Can you stop?" Maggie snapped back.

Ace knew Shane wouldn't. He's on a roll now. She understands what he's saying, what he thinks they have to do. And yeah, they have to do it, as much as Ace hates killing walkers, they aren't safe. But Shane just fucked everything up.

"You do this, you hand out these guns... My dad will make you leave tonight," Maggie argued, wanting to keep Glenn around. But the thing is, Shane doesn't care. He wanted to leave anyway, right?

It was Carl coming over to Shane, begging him to not get them kicked off, that got Ace to step over to Shane.

"Stop," Ace said under her breath to him.

"We should've left," Shane said back to Ace. "But we're here now an' we ain't goin' anywhere."

Ace looked down as he handed her a rifle, then looked back up at him. "This is the _wrong_ way," she hissed through a whisper.

"You're part of this group now," he looked her dead in the eyes, his face serious. "Protect them."

Ace heard what he was saying, knowing she'd do anything to save Carl or Dale, even Daryl from getting bit by one of those monsters. She glanced to Daryl, making eye contact. It was his nod that got her to grip onto the gun and back away.

Shane nodded at her.

There was no way to stop him, no way to stop this. She didn't support it, she was a passive person, one to sit in the back and think her way out of it. But it was too late to think of something to save this now. It was too late to save Shane.

"Now look," Shane turned back. "Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? Well, he's gonna have to."

"What is this?" Lori hissed over to him.

Shane ignored it and went over, bending down in front of Carl. "Now we need to find Sophia, am I right? Huh? Now I want you to take this."

Ace tensed, stepping over to them. Carl isn't even close to knowing his way around a gun. He's had one day of gun training.

"You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it." Shane kept pushing, getting worked up. It was no way to pressure a child into something.

Lori sensed that too, putting her hand on Carl and pushing him back.

Ace shook her head, walking back over to Daryl. She didn't care if he didn't want her near him. She needed to be right now. He was the only one she trusted at the moment.

"Rick said no guns. This is not your call! This is not your decision to make." Lori hissed.

It wasn't until T-dog spoke that the madness stopped. Or, maybe that's when the madness actually started.

"Oh shit!"

Everyone turned to see Rick coming out of the trees across the farm with a walker. He had it on a stick, as did Hershel, like it was an animal on a leash.

Ace just couldn't keep up with all of this.

It was almost as you could see the anger intensify on Shane's face towards his once beloved partner as he shoved through everyone, taking off in an animalistic run towards Rick.

"Shane!" Lori called, but it was too late. And soon, everyone else was running after.

Ace was still behind everyone, arriving last in the group of people now circled around the barn. Her back was killing her and the more she moved, the more she felt like she was going to puke. All of this commotion was making her head spin so much she was sure she was going to be sick.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Shane yelled, his voice full of anger and murderous rage.

"Shane, just back off," Rick demanded, struggling to lead the snarling walker in front of him.

Ace tensed, gripping onto the gun Shane gave her and stepping back. What the hell were they doing?

"Why do you people have guns?" Hershel questioned in a panic. Ace thought that was a stupid question to ask while they were walking flesh eating corpses towards the group.

Apparently Shane did too as he paced around the walkers. "Are you kidding me?! You see? You see what you're holding on to?"

"I see _who_ I'm holding onto," Hershel yelled back over the growls of the walker.

Ace now understood. She understood why he had the whole barn full of these things. He didn't see them as monsters, he still saw them as people. Just like Ace did. Or how she still does sometimes. Because they were people. But Ace has seen too much to hold onto that anymore.

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk," Rick tried, but as usual, it just fell short with Shane. There was no getting through to him. That's why Ace was here, holding this gun.

Ace could still sense Daryl next to her as things got even more riled up. Shane was yelling and running, clenching his fists like he was going to snap. And Ace knew he was, so she stayed back. Daryl sensed her retreating, felt her just watching. He knew she called this. He knew that she saw this coming.

It wasn't until a gun shot went off that Ace realized it was happening. Everyone let out a yell and ducked down, panting in fear for what may happen. Shane was shooting at the walker. In the chest, stomach, arm, anything. He wanted to show Hershel that no living person could keep walking after that. Shane kept screaming and Rick kept screaming back. Ace was tense, watching this group unfold amongst themselves. And during all of this, Sophia is still out there.

"Shane! _Enough_!"

"Yeah, you're right man. That is enough," With one last bullet, Shane finally put the walker down, Hershel falling to his knees with it.

After that, it was silent for a moment, everyone breathing heavy and holding their guns up. Ace looked at Daryl, who was focused and unfazed, just seeing the walker in front of him. But Ace was seeing the real danger. Shane.

"Enough risking out lives for a little girl who's gone!" Shane yelled. Ace's posture tensed even more, her teeth grinding. She took a step forward, now holding her gun slightly more up. She heard a gasp from Carol at the harshness of his words, making Ace fill with guilt and rage. "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! Enough! Rick, it ain't like it was before!"

Ace knew all this anger, all this rage came directly from Rick and Lori. Shane hated seeing Lori and Carl with a man he thought was weak. He couldn't stand it.

"Now if you want to live, if y'all want to survive, you got to _fight_ for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now."

Ace heard Shane, she did. She knew he was tried of sitting back and waiting to die. And Ace knew that, that was exactly what she was doing with her cancer. She was waiting to die. But this is different. Isn't it?

Ace could feel her blood pump through her body as Shane ran towards the barn. She could hear the cries of Maggie and Hershel, she could hear Rick and Lori screaming. But she knew it was all falling on deaf ears. Ace walked up, standing next to Daryl again, holding her gun up. Everyone was screaming at Shane to stop as he tore off the locks to the barn, but Ace knew it was going to happen. And now all she could do was stop these damned things from coming near the group. Her group. As stupid as they are.

Daryl and her shared a glance, ignoring all the screaming behind them, and lifted up their guns as Shane ripped open the barn doors.

With her heart beating fast in her chest, Ace focused, like she would back in the day when shooting, and watched as walkers started to pour out.

She tried not to think about who they were to Hershel, or the lives they used to have, she just thought about the people who were actually living behind her. Carl, Dale, Daryl... The one's she had to fight for. This was just target practice.

T-Dog, Andrea, and Glenn all stepped up next to them, the gun fire starting all at once.

Ace's ears were ringing as one by one, the walkers in front of them fell. There were dozens of them. Ace could hear Hershel, Maggie, and Beth crying, but she tuned it out. They were dead. They weren't people.

It was Daryl who had the last shot, snapping the shell out of his gun when the walker fell, and turning to look at the group. His eyes fell on Ace, who was calm, much calmer than anyone else in the group. But on the inside she ached and her blood was pumping fast throughout her. All the gunshots had made her head spin.

It was quiet, especially now that all the gunfire had stopped. It was just the sound of Hershel and his people silently weeping behind them, and the group panting from what had just went down. Ace's mind was running a mile a minute. Knowing she expected something like this to happen, but still not really seeing this coming.

It wasn't until they heard a faint growl that they slowly looked back to the barn, only to see the one thing that killed them the most.

It was the shirt that Ace saw first. The now blackened, bloody blue shirt with the rainbow on it. It was what she wore when she'd come over, asking to play go fish. It was bright, it was happy... It was Sophia.

It was Sophia.

Ace's body went limp, the gun dangling out of her hands, scraping the dirt as she stared ahead. She felt like her mind had stopped. All the thoughts she had, froze. Everything, gone.

She could faintly hear cries around her, but Ace was so frozen it was like they weren't there. But she knew they were. She could hear Carol weep for the daughter Ace couldn't help. She could hear Carl whimper for his friend.

Through the bodies of the walkers Ace just regarded as no longer people, Sophia walked towards them. No longer a person herself. No longer that happy little girl. Ace never thought she'd see this. She thought she'd find Sophia, she knew she would. Ace couldn't move as the walker came towards her, she couldn't lift up her gun.

But she watched as Rick stepped forward, pointing the barrel of his gun between Sophia's eyes. Ace watched without blinking, without breathing, and without moving as the little girl who she looked day and night for got shot through the head.

And when she did, Ace didn't just see Sophia die, she saw Frankie, too. She saw her little sister fall with Sophia. Gone.

She had lost both of them. 


	34. Chasing Ghosts

After everyone had cleared, going their own ways to start cleaning up after the events of today, Ace remained. She couldn't stop thinking, but through all of it she felt like not a single thought ran through her head.

She looked at Sophia, finally having found her, until Ace couldn't take it anymore.

She hurried off, running beyond the barn until she leaned down and started to puke. Even though Ace barely ate today, she couldn't stop. Everything was coming up, even as her body was convulsing and she fell to her knees in weakness. Ace felt sweat drench her forehead and her body start to shake as she continued to hurl into the dead grass.

It got to the point where it was impossible to get anything else out so she was just dry heaving into the dirt.

"Hey... woah, woah, woah," Dale rushed over, having followed Ace when he saw her run off. He could sense she was about to fall ill. He knew the look when he used to see it on Irma. He crouched down next to her, setting his gun down and placing his hand on her back.

Ace couldn't breathe, hell she couldn't stop gagging air for the life of her.

"Focus on a deep breath," Dale kept his hand on her back. "Come on now, Ace. Just one breath."

Ace tried, but all she could see was Sophia and Frankie, making her want to hurl more.

She gagged again, her body, or more specifically, the cancer, trying to push anything out it could. But nothing would come. She wished it just kill her already, now that she didn't have to look for Sophia anymore. Now that she had given up on Frankie.

"Like this, Ace," Dale imitated a deep breath and Ace gave her best attempt, closing her mouth and eyes, trying to suck air in through her nose. It was helping a little, and eventually she got to the point where she could take in big shaky breaths, her fists having a death grip on the grass below her.

"Good," Dale said, becoming shocked as Ace turned to look at him. Her face was pale white, but her eyes were red with colored bags beneath them. Sweat had matted her hair and drenched her face, leaving her totally lifeless.

Her body was turning against her.

Dale saw his wife in her and started to feel that same determination and care he felt when Irma was dying. "Let's get you back to the house, Hershel-"

"No," Ace croaked, her voice dry.

"Ace... you don't have much time," Dale spoke softly back to her.

Ace's head fell down in defeat. She still had more time than the two children who deserved it. Ace should be dead, not them. Ace used her shaking, weak arms to push herself upright. Dale held his hands out just incase, but Ace didn't need it. She leaned back against her heels, looking up at the sky. The sun was bright, reflecting off the glasses Dale gave her. She was still breathing heavy, feeling her head spin with each movement as she reached up to wipe the back of her hand against her mouth.

"M'fine," Ace mumbled, placing a hand on the ground and attempting to push herself up. She almost immediately fell back down, but Dale held onto her arm and slowly helped her stand.

"You're far from fine," Dale looked at her with those worried eyes that bugged out of his head.

"I'll be fine," Ace spoke lowly, releasing her grip on Dale and turning to slowly make her way back to camp. Dale let her go, watching her weakly limp to over to the house.

He walked over to pick up his gun and the one Ace dropped, slowly following her to give her space. He knew he'd get through to her eventually. And if he didn't, he'd tell someone himself. He's not watching her die. Not like this.

Ace passed what remained of the massacre that just occurred. She passed Sophia, the girl that was finally found.

Ace gripped onto the railing of the porch steps, happy no one was around to see her. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to go somewhere.

She held onto her stomach, her head spinning so fast she had to stop before she opened the door to not fall over. Ace felt worse than she ever had before, like she could feel the cancer sucking the life out of her. But she didn't care, she didn't need that life to search for Sophia anymore.

Ace pushed herself inside the house, stepping in to see Glenn and Maggie in the living room, talking quietly. Maggie had tears in her eyes, holding a picture in her hand.

Maggie made eye contact with Ace and Ace simply pointed upstairs to where she new the shower was. She didn't want to intrude, especially when she knew they hated this group right now. But Maggie could see how sick Ace looked and nodded, giving her the approval she needed to start the climb upstairs.

Ace had a death grip on the railing, feeling her body crumple forward with each step she took, but she made it up and quickly limped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

She practically fell onto the closed toilet seat, and leaned back, resting her head on the cold tile wall behind her. Ace took a moment to breathe, feeling sweat roll down her neck. She couldn't tell if her mind was blank or if she was thinking so much that it just seemed that way.

Slowly, Ace sat forward, starting to pull off her boots, then the rest of her clothes before going to the shower and slumping down into the tub.

With the water turned on, Ace leaned forward, feeling as if she had to puke again, but nothing came out. The water felt good against her feverish skin, releasing some of the tension out of her body.

She couldn't move for a while, laying with her head on the side of the bathtub until the water became cold.

It wasn't until she heard knocking on the door that Ace came back to life.

"Ace?" It was Dale. He sounded worried, as usual.

Ace pushed herself up and reached over to turn off the water. She's been in here for too long.

Having some of her energy return to her, Ace got out of the shower and dried herself off, starting to pull her clothes on her now cold, shivering body.

Dale was waiting at the door as she opened it. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Ace nodded, but Dale could even hear her teeth chattering. Her face was still extremely pale. Before Ace could speak, she heard Glenn talking to Maggie.

"So you'll just move on?" Maggie asked, still sounding upset.

"If we can," Glenn said, defeated. "I mean, we've lost others. But this is _Sophia_."

Ace looked back to Dale and nodded. He obviously didn't believe her. "We're about to have a service," Dale said, looking down the stairs at Glenn. "For Sophia and Maggie's family."

Ace let out a slow breath and nodded, turning to start heading down the stairs, Dale following closely behind. They met up with Glenn and Maggie and left the house, walking over to the rest of the group that was over by a few trees past the barn. Ace trailed behind, now moving fast, but to be alone like she always did. Dale still kept an eye on her.

When they got to the rest of the group, Ace saw Dale immediately squinting at Shane. He blamed him. Dale knew Shane was bad.

Ace stayed behind, silent, looking down at the ground as Rick said a few words. But he even knew there wasn't much to say. They had been chasing a ghost this whole time.

The group stayed in silence for a while, but eventually everyone dispersed.

Dale placed a hand on Ace's arm as he left, giving her a look. She knew Dale wasn't going to let her go on like this much more. She knew she didn't have much time until he would tell someone.

Ace now looked up, noticing that Carol wasn't here. She didn't come to her own daughters funeral, but Ace knows if she did, there would have been another world of guilt on her shoulders.

When everyone was gone, Ace saw Daryl standing across the graves, farther back from where everyone else was like she did. He didn't meet her eyes, just walked over to Sophia's grave and crouched down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flower, gently placing it on the cross someone had made for her. Ace tilted her head to look, seeing he put that same flower he found back at the house they went looking through. It was his Cherokee Rose.

Daryl stood up, one hand holding onto the strap of his crossbow. He glanced at Ace and walked over, now just looking past her as he stopped for a moment.

"We were chasin' a ghost," he said lowly. "This whole time."

With that Daryl walked off, stalking away from the direction the rest of the group went in.

Ace didn't watch him go, just looked ahead at the dirt that lays above Sophia. Her friend. The one Ace failed, just like Frankie.

A ghost.

\---

As the rest of the day went on and Ace went back to camp, she didn't know what to do.

She was the outsider here. But now, she felt that even more. Looking for Sophia was the only thing she had for this group, the only reason she became a part of it. But now? What was she doing here? What was she supposed to do? Without Daryl, she was lost.

She couldn't even help clear out the rest of the bodies, she was too sick. She tried, but every time she went to help, Dale was there, making her stay away.

She didn't know what to do.

But now, sitting on the porch step, Ace knew she didn't want to think anymore.

The day was starting to come to an end and everyone but her had done something today. Even Hershel left the farm. It was a whole shit show, watching Maggie panic, especially because Beth had gone into shock about what went down. Rick and Glenn went into town after him and now after a day of recuperating from the events Shane caused, everyone was waiting for their return. Especially Lori, who wasn't pleased at all her husband left to risk his life again.

Ace should have cared, should have helped. But she couldn't. The only thing she could think about was Sophia. And how Ace had given up on her own baby sister.

Ace continued to sit on the step, it starting to get dark. She was still shivering, feeling feverish and ill from her stupid cancer. But she didn't do anything about it. She's already useless enough, she didn't need to bother anyone else. Not like she would either way.

She was lost in her head for a while until she heard footsteps coming up. When she saw it was Shane, Ace just looked back down. She didn't have much to say to him anymore and nothing left to analyze about him. She already knew everything. He was dangerous and he was too far gone in this world.

Shane came and sat down on the step next to her, breathing heavily out of his nose. He handed over a jacket that he was gripping tightly in his hand to her, getting Ace to look over at him.

"It's from Dale," Shane said dryly, the name filled with venom when he spoke it. Ace hesitated, but grabbed it from him and put it on, wrapping it around her body. "About today," Shane sniffed and Ace looked away, not wanting to hear it. Shane noticed. "Look, it had to be done. I know you know that."

Ace stayed quiet, looking ahead.

"I had no idea she would be in there," Shane said after a moment of silence. "If I knew..." It was almost as if there was a hint of remorse in his voice, and Ace had a moment of understanding with Shane, but deep down she knew it was bullshit. Shane knew Sophia was dead from the start and he resents Rick for having the search.

"Otis did," Ace stated.

Shane tensed, looking at her sharply. It was a low blow to bring it up, but after all the commotion Shane caused today, he needs to remember that he can't just kill and kill and get away with it.

"If it weren't for me, Carl would be dead," Shane spat. "If it weren't for me, you and Daryl and the rest of this group would keep risking their lives for a dead girl."

Ace now turned to meet his cold eyes. If it weren't for him...

"Everyday we are risking are lives," Ace stated quietly to him, meeting his glare.

"Yeah, well, now it won't be for no reason," he snorted, pushing himself up off the step, looking down at Ace. "Rick, he ain't made for this world. I saved Carl. I saved the group from those walkers. I kept Lori safe," Shane pointed to himself. "What has he done?"

Ace didn't respond, just looked up at Shane. Rick was soft, she will admit, but Shane... he is an entirely different story.

Shane snorted when Ace didn't respond, running his hand over his head.

"You are made for this world," was all Ace said, looking at him with her piercing eyes.

"Yeah, well, it's time to get shit done," with that Shane turned and stalked off, leaving Ace alone on the step again.

She watched him, only able to think of what he will do next. What he will cause next time. The worst part is, he can't be stopped either. Rick can't do it.


	35. Where Do We Go Now

The sun was beginning to set when Ace finally got up off the step. Rick and Glenn hadn't returned yet, leaving most of the group still sitting awake by the campfire.

Ace quietly walked over, looking around at the tents. When she got to the group, she froze, not seeing Daryl's tent anywhere. In fact, she hadn't seen Daryl once all day. Not since the viewing.

It was as if the group could sense her moment of panic because it didn't take long for someone to speak up.

"He's over there," Lori said, getting her attention and pointing away from them. They somehow knew Ace was looking for Daryl. "Across the farm."

Ace looked over and couldn't even make out his tent because it was at the complete opposite of the farm. It was past the barn, past the graves, and nearly at the line of the woods. There was nothing over there but a mile of dead grass. Ace wondered why he was over there, but she already knew. He wanted to get away, Sophia was the only thing he felt was tying him into this group, just like her.

Ace looked back to Lori and nodded sheepishly, almost embarrassed, but Lori didn't notice. She had just came out of her tent, putting something into her back pocket.

"Good luck," Lori said, sounding bitter. Ace's face scrunched, wondering what Daryl did to have Lori so worked up. After that, Lori walked passed her in a hurry, not making any eye contact. Ace watched as she left, wondering where she was going. Ace just let it go, having too much on her mind already.

Ace slowly limped over to one of the logs around the campfire and slowly sat down, her back screaming at her as she did. She felt so awful today, like she was actually dying. Which she was.

She sat there, watching the dying embers from the fire put out not too long ago, thinking so harshly and so fast that she was zoned out to the rest of the world. But at the same time, her mind was just slowly replaying Sophia. When she ran after her... killed those walkers to save her... but it all fell short when she stumbled out of that barn.

Everything fell short.

Ace sat there for hours, until the night was completely upon them. Not many people were asleep, they were all together in the house. They were planning a nice dinner to distract all the stressing about Rick and Glenn's return. They hadn't invited Ace, but she could see through the large windows that were lit up, illuminating the group all sitting together.

Ace still sat alone, away from everything.

When the sound of voices leaving the house could be heard, Ace stood up. She didn't want to be around them right now. Or anyone. But before Ace could move anywhere, Shane was jogging up to her. "Hey!"

Ace turned to him slowly, not wanting to move too quickly and upset her back.

"You seen Lori?" Shane pressed, heaving out breaths. Ace looked at him confused, he was panicked.

"What? Not for a few hours," Ace shook her head, lost.

Shane ran a hand down his face, pacing for a moment. When T-Dog and Dale ran over, Ace grew concerned.

"She's not at the barn. I checked the yards, too," T-Dog said, huffing as he joined Shane's side.

"Lori's missing?" Ace questioned, instant guilt filling her body. She had seen Lori stressed out earlier, but didn't ask anything. Ace should've done something.

"Carl said he hasn't seen her since this afternoon," Dale explained. "No one has."

Ace's stomach dropped.

All of their attentions turned to the left as Carol jogged over, coming from the direction of Daryl's new camp. "She asked Daryl to go into town," Carol breathed, panicked. "She must have gone herself."

Shane immediately started pacing, running straight up to Dale. "Did you know about this?"

"No," Dale shook his head. Ace watched, why would Dale know? Shane was attacking Dale, for what? Tension was running high between those two.

"Look just, did she take a gun?" Shane pressed, getting in his face.

"I don't know," Dale said, dumbfounded. "I wouldn't let her go out there alone."

Shane groaned, spinning around and jogging towards the nearest car. Ace quickly perked up.

"Shane, wait," Ace called. "Let me join you. In case she is hurt."

"Ace, no," Dale stepped after her. She was too sick to be going anywhere right now.

"Just stay here," Shane held his hand out. "I'll be faster on my own."

Ace couldn't get another word in before Shane jumped into the car, starting the engine and skidding across the gravel.

Ace's blood was pumping aggressively in her veins. What the hell had happened? Why didn't she notice something was happening? She was supposed to be looking after Lori. That was the one fucking job she had left.

Now angry, Ace turned away from the group. Without thinking about it, she headed in the direction of Daryl's campsite.

Ace couldn't make it out through the darkness, but her feet were moving over there before she could stop herself. Ace walked through the night, across a mile of dead grass. For a moment, she worried if she should have brought a lantern. But then, she didn't care. She didn't care if it wasn't safe.

When she could make out the outline of an old, rustic stone structure, Daryl's tent came into view. There was smoke cascading from behind it, the crackle of a fire filling up the silent night.

Ace looked around his new campsite as she approached. It was closer to the tree line than she had thought, practically was protected by trees. Her eyes stopped at something else that hung from one of them. It was the ear necklaces Daryl had made them. It was their trophies at the time, but now it only held the defeat of losing Sophia.

"Can't y'all tell I came here to be left alone," Daryl grumbled angrily, coming out from the side of his tent. He wasn't expecting it to be Ace, figuring it was Carol back to bug him some more. He stopped when he saw Ace, eyeing her.

Ace turned to meet his eyes, her face hard. Her jaw clenched a few times. When she didn't speak, Daryl grew irritated.

"T'hell ya want?"

Ace still just looked at him. Trying to figure this all out. Trying to figure him out.

"Lori's pregnant," was all Ace said, her voice hard as a rock. Daryl paused only for a second at this information. "And it was _my_ job to keep an eye on her." Ace jabbed a finger at her chest. She was quiet, but still angry. It could be heard in the venom of her voice.

"Yeah, so?" Daryl scoffed.

"You knew she left. You didn't say _shit_ ," Ace seethed under her breath.

Daryl stopped pacing as he looked at her, his eyes squinting. He had never heard Ace mad before. Hell, she barely made a fucking squeak half the time. But her rage was pushing Daryl, adding to his already very present anger. He already felt guilty.

"The hell you want from me?" Daryl snapped, stepping towards Ace. "Huh? Want me to waste some more time searching for some bitch in the woods?!"

Ace didn't even flinch. "Wasn't just you," she snapped back at him.

"I don't see you running after her!" Daryl growled. "Hell, ya ain't even lookin' for your own _sister_ no more."

Now Ace's fists clenched, glaring up at Daryl as he spat in her face. "Really?" Ace breathed. "And what about Merle, huh? You gave up on him the _second_ he was lost."

Daryl leaned back, twitching in rage. The vein in his forehead was bulging out as he gave Ace a death glare. "Ya don't know _shit_!" He pointed a harsh finger in her face.

Ace crossed her arms. "Try me."

Daryl was about to explode, huffing violent breaths as he looked at her. And if looks could kill, the one he was giving Ace right now would do it in an instant. She was just standing there, pushing all his fucking buttons.

"Merle's a piece of shit!" Daryl spat. "If he alive, he ain't here cause he don't _wanna_ be! I ain't gonna look for someone that don't want to be here! Don't want _me_!"

Ace leaned back, her anger falling for a split second when she heard the way Daryl's voice cracked at the end. It was then Ace saw it. She saw where the anger came from. Daryl thought he had been left behind. The anger came from _hurt_. Hurt from Merle and now hurt from Sophia.

Daryl huffed, taking a few steps back.

"You don't know that," Ace's voice was calmer now, burning into him. Anything could have happened to Merle.

"Fuck off," Daryl swatted his hand at her, trying to ignore what just happened. He said too much, showed too much. And he knew Ace could see it. "Ya walk around here like you know everythin'! You don't know shit!"

Now, Daryl's anger wasn't bothering Ace as much.

"Merle told me he wanted to go back for you," Ace defended, revealing this to him. Daryl stopped, huffing big breaths through his chest as he watched Ace. "He said he'd leave with me. Only if we picked up his baby brother first. _Thats_ how I knew it was your camp."

Daryl didn't respond right away, unable to process the words she was sayin' to him. They held eye contact for a long minute.

But Daryl started to get angry again. Angry that this girl was here. That she was getting under his skin. He couldn't fucking understand it, not for the life of him. He didn't have a clue what he was doing or why she kept coming back around him. It pissed him off.

"Why the hell are ya even here, huh?!" Daryl yelled into Ace's face. "Followin' me around. Sleepin' in my tent!"

Ace watched as he swung an arm back to his tent, eyes burning holes in her face. Ace didn't have an answer for him. She really had no clue.

"Ya think we're similar or somethin," Daryl seethed, his hot breath rolling onto her face. " _We ain't_."

Ace stayed frozen as he turned around, pacing away from her. "Just get the fuck out," Daryl swatted an angry hand behind him, not looking at her.

Ace couldn't move a muscle. Is that how Daryl really felt? Did he actually not want anything to do with her? After all this shit? Ace's feelings were hurt. This was not something she felt often. It was not something she _allowed_ to happen. But Daryl not wanting her around made her feel like shit, sparking her anger once again. Match to a flame.

"Fuck you," Ace said under her breath. But Daryl had grown used to how quiet she was, making him easily able to hear it. He spun around. He was not expecting that.

"Hell you jus' say to me?"

Ace stood up straight. "Fuck you."

Daryl stomped back over to her, a finger drilling towards her face. "Best watch ya damn mouth!"

"I've done nothing to you," Ace cut him off, glaring past his finger and hard into his eyes. "I thought we were _friends._ "

Daryl dropped his finger, just staring at her. He didn't know if he felt more angry or confused in this moment. But for a split second, he definitely felt bad. He had never had a friend before. Not a real one. Not someone that didn't want nothing from him. What did _she_ want from him?

"Ya want something from me?" Daryl's voice was quieter now, but still agitated. Ace's head turned as she looked at him, confused. She couldn't read him.

"Just for you to _shut up._ "

Daryl looked at her, slightly taken aback. He had never heard Ace speak so damn much. But he was at a loss for words when he realized she didn't want anything from him. Daryl squinted at her, his breaths rolling out more easily now. "Ya a real piece of work."

"Ditto," Ace squinted right back at him.

Daryl scoffed, looking away. He shuffled back from her, pacing for a moment to work off the rest of his anger. Ace just silently watched, heart ramming in her chest. Eventually, Daryl gave up and plopped down on a log next to his fire pit.

Ace figured he was calming down now. If he wasn't yelling at her to leave, maybe they were fine again. He always did have quick mood changes.

Ace was too tired to care, shuffling over and sitting down on the edge of the old stone structure. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stay standing for. She had her fists clenched in the sleeves of Dale's jacket, watching as Daryl angrily poked a stick into the fire.

Daryl glanced to her. Why was she still here? After all that, she was still staying? Why would she want to? The questions scared the shit out of Daryl. Friends? Thats what she said.

"Gotta take a piss," Daryl grumbled, wanting to get away from Ace for a second. He needed a minute to chill the fuck out once he had realized he might've been glad she stayed.

Ace watched him walk away. When he was lost in the darkness of the night, Ace used the last of her energy to push herself up and limp into his tent. She peaked inside, her heart dropping into her stomach as she did.

Even though he took everything down and moved it over here, he still set the pillow and blanket out for her.

He wanted her here.

Ace gulped, very unsure of the feelings that were coursing through her. At the very least, she knew everything Daryl said earlier was just because he was angry. He didn't mean any of it. He was just hurting. And he just had no clue how to show that he wanted Ace around. Ace huffed to herself, starting to put the pieces of Daryl together.

Ace was about to walk back to sit down, there wasn't a _chance_ she was leaving now. But her attention was caught by twigs cracking to her left. Ace turned, surprised and unhappy to see Carol approaching. It was the same look Carol gave back to Ace.

Ace didn't say anything as Carol slowed her walk over, just watched, not knowing how to apologize for Sophia anymore. Ace shielded herself from the guilt that was about to cast over her, the guilt that never left.

"Ace," Carol stated, looking around. "I was looking for Daryl."

It was obvious Carol didn't want to speak to Ace, it was easily heard in the older woman's voice.

"He's back there," Ace mumbled, pointing to the edge of the forest.

Carol nodded, looking around until she met Ace's eyes. Ace looked at her apologetically, seeing the broken women stand before her.

"Don't say you're sorry," Carol held her hand up, sounding broken. "After you lost her in the woods, after all this time.."

Carol paused and Ace felt the sting of her blame. It was easier for her to blame Ace, rather than herself. Ace was the new person, the untrusted and disliked, why wouldn't Carol blame her? But each time still hurt Ace, leaving her not only the wound of guilt for Sophia, but also the guilt for her little sister. Because of Frankie, Ace felt she needed to take all this from Carol.

"That wasn't my little girl. That was some other... thing," Carol's voice broke. "My Sophia was alone in the woods."

The pain in her voice hit Ace, making her feel weak. But she didn't look away, she took it all. She let Carol put it all on her.

"All this time I thought..." Carol shook her head. "She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry... She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago."

It was now that Daryl came back, Ace hearing his footsteps and looking away from Carol, down to her feet. She felt all of Carol's pain and she took all the guilt. Sophia was alone in the woods. And maybe so was Frankie.

Daryl came over, squinting as he looked between Ace and Carol, Carol sniffling and standing up straight as he walked closer to her.

"What are ya doin'?" Daryl asked loudly at Carol.

"Keepin' an eye on you," Carol said back.

"Ain't you a peach," Daryl snapped.

"Lori's back," Carol changed the subject.

"She okay?" Ace immediately stepped forward. She needed to go check on her, check on the baby. That was her job now.

Carol glanced to her. "Don't pretend like you care."

Ace was taken aback, not expecting that.

"I saw you out there all evening. You probably saw her leave and didn't say anything," Carol tried, crossing her arms. Ace looked at her dumbfounded.

"Aye," Daryl called. "Leave her outta this."

Carol sighed, looking back to Daryl. "Don't do this. I'm not gonna let you pull away. You've earned your place."

Daryl stepped back, eyeing her. "Maybe if you spent half your time minding your daughter's business instead of sticking your nose in everybody else's, she'd still be alive!" Daryl yelled at Carol, his voice raspy as he did. Ace watched, knowing Carol only spoke of Daryl having a place, not her. Carol thought Ace was pulling Daryl away. And Daryl was still mad that Carol came all the way out here to tear down Ace, the only other person who gave half a shit about her daughter. Another quick mood swing for Daryl.

Carol stayed quiet, getting Daryl only revved up more.

"Man, you know jack," he swung his arm, stepping back. "Jus' get the hell outta here. We don't need ya here."

We.

Daryl turned away and walked over to Ace, meeting her eyes. He stopped by Ace's side, looking to watch Carol walk away.

Ace was having one hell of a hard time shaking off what Daryl just did for her. This entire night was heavy in her chest. Ace was doing all she could to push her feelings down, knowing how on edge the man in front of her ways. Instead, Ace cleared her throat. "I should go check on Lori."

Daryl brought a hand up to bite, just letting out an 'mhm'.

Ace spared him one last look, unsure if she should say anything else. But she couldn't think of words, so she just pushed herself away, heading back to the farm house. On her walk back, she wondered if she should go back to Daryl's site after. And as Daryl watched her go, he wondered if she would show up again.

Ace pushed the screen door to the farm house wide open, stumbling inside. She was so god damn exhausted from this day and how ill she was. But she had one last thing to do.

Glancing around for Lori, Ace quickly spotted her sitting on a couch in the living room. Ace went straight over.

"Hey," Lori said as she heard Ace walk in. Dale looked up, too, sitting across from Lori. He had already brought her a glass of water and a towel to press on the gash in her head. "I'm fine," Lori held her hands out as Ace approached. "Just a few scrapes is all."

"Mind if I take a look?" Ace asked quietly, just wanting to be sure.

Lori nodded, signaling Ace to come sit on the couch next to her. Dale watched intently, keeping his eye on Ace. She was providing care to another when she was the one who really needed to be checked on.

Lori pulled the towel off her head, revealing the gash to Ace. Ace leaned over, inspecting it closely. "Won't need stitches," she said lightly, more to herself. "Thats good."

"I'm really okay," Lori assured her, putting the wet rag back on the cut.

Ace nodded. "Won't hurt to keep some Neosporin and a bandage on, though."

"I can go grab some from the RV," Dale announced, pushing himself out of his seat.

"Thank you," Lori smiled to him. Dale sent a nod, placing a hand on Ace's shoulder before he walked out of the room.

Ace turned back to Lori. "Any direct impact on your stomach?"

"No, no," Lori shook her head.

"No cramps?"

"No, nothing," Lori responded. Ace nodded, considering.

"Stress is the only thing we need to watch out for," Ace spoke silently, even though she knew the state of the world was going to make that impossible. Although, Ace glanced over Lori's shoulder, seeing Shane pace in the kitchen. "Do you want me to tell him to leave?"

Lori looked to Ace with appreciative eyes, but shook her head, letting out a laugh. "No, it's okay. Thank you, though. I'm going to have to speak to him eventually."

Ace nodded, not wanting to get in between their drama.

"Hows Daryl?" Lori changed the subject.

Ace looked at her with confusion sketched on her face, lost as to why Lori was asking her. Or how she knew.

Lori laughed again at Ace's reaction. "Sorry," Lori pleaded, quickly able to tell she made Ace uncomfortable. It reminded Lori of when her and Rick were just starting out together, so she didn't push. Ace had to figure it out on her own.

Ace shook it off. "Just get some rest tonight," Ace spoke calmly to Lori, as shitty as her body was feeling right now. "Rick probably just hunkered down for the night. He'll be back in the morning."

Lori smiled, nodding. "Thank you, Ace. I mean it."

Ace nodded back, glancing over as Shane started to come into the room. This being her cue to leave, Ace stood up. She gave Lori one last glance to see if she needed help, but Lori just waved her off.

With that, Ace left the farm house again.

Once outside, Ace knew she should probably talk to Dale. She was worried he was about to spill the beans on her cancer, which she wasn't ready for yet. But, Ace was exhausted. Today had been so much, she was sure Dale probably would wait to speak to her in the morning.

Ace just needed rest.

She glanced back in the direction of Daryl's campsite.

She didn't want to waste anymore time tonight thinking, so she headed in that direction. Ace hadn't been sure if she was going to go back, but her feet carried here there anyway. After tonight, she had realized Daryl _did_ want her around. It made her happy, at least the tiniest bit after everything that had been going on. At least he wanted her around, too,

Daryl was still sitting awake at the fire when Ace arrived again. He had been waiting up for her, to see if she'd come back. He was flipping it over and over again in his head. He didn't know why he wanted her to come back. He didn't know why _she_ wanted to.

Friends. Thats what she had said to him. He could do that. He just wasn't sure how.

Ace didn't give him much of a chance to think, for she came over and sat right back on the edge of the stone structure. After all that walking, Ace was spent. She wanted to just be done with this god forsaken day.

Daryl was poking at the embers of a fire, only sparing a glance to her when she arrived.

Ace rubbed her hands down her face, stressed out. After losing Sophia, she felt like she was loosing her grip. She wasn't doing anything right anymore. She wasn't calculating things out right anymore. She just couldn't get it together.

After a long moment of silence, Ace looked over to Daryl.

"What do we do now?" Ace spoke under her breath. She didn't have the energy to be loud anymore.

Daryl looked at her, more intense than before. He wasn't angry anymore, it was just heavy. He paused, considering her words. "We make our way," he looked back down.

Ace watched him, always getting hung up on the _we_. This time, she just accepted it.

She looked back down, letting the silence hang between them again. It was peaceful now, though. The words spoken between the two had left them raw, but now at least they gained some truth out of it. It was almost more comfortable now. Like whatever thoughts she had ran from her head and into his, balancing the weight of it all. Or most of it. But they both had lost Sophia. Both now having to deal with what to do next.

They had sat there until the embers had completely burnt out, looking ahead, and Daryl occasionally down to the crossbow that rested in between his legs. His arms lit up in the dying sunlight.

Ace nervously looked to him. "Can I sleep here?"

Daryl didn't look at her, but still nodded.

He then pushed himself up, stalking over to the tent. Ace was curious what he was thinking, but just stood and followed after him.

They didn't say anything as they went inside, Ace zipping up the flap behind him. She then moved over, slumping down onto the ground. She started pulling off her boots, feeling the coldness that touched her feet spread across her body. Daryl did the same and then laid back onto his cot, huffing loudly as he did. They didn't say anything to each other as they both laid down, Daryl propping his head up on his arm underneath, and Ace simply laying flat, trying to think past how cold she was.

She didn't get very far, Daryl nearly hearing her body shivering. He glanced over to Ace and then pulled his blanket out from under his side, throwing it over to her. Ace grabbed it and looked at him.

"Take it, don't need it," he grumbled, looking back up at the ceiling of his tent.

Ace knew that arguing would get her nowhere, and she was extremely cold, so she pulled it over her body and rolled on her side, her back facing Daryl.

Neither of them fell asleep and they both knew the other hadn't either. They laid there in the silent night, just thinking. Daryl occasionally took glances down at Ace, barely seeing the outline of her body. He gnawed at his cheek as he did, unsure.

Even with all the thoughts of Sophia, they both couldn't help but thinking about the other.


	36. Dreams Of You

Daryl was surprised when he woke up to see Ace.

She was hovering over him, leaving him in shock. But it wasn't a bad shock, it was a good sort of feeling that coursed through him.

He looked down, not knowing that he had put his hands on her hips until he saw them there, holding onto the skin under the shirt of his he had left for her, her jacket and all the blankets in a pile on the ground where she was sleeping before.

Daryl didn't know where his movements were coming from as he pulled Ace down on him more, feeling her body rub against his, her hips moving in the right way against his core. What the fuck was he doing? What the fuck?

Daryl panicked as he felt himself grow aroused, disgusted with himself. But then as his name escaped Ace's lips, he knew she wasn't disgusted and it soothed his panic a bit.

"D," she breathed, making a groan rumble through his chest. The nickname and the way she let out his name had his blood pumping, heart beating fast, and he made a swift move to sit up and roll her beneath him.

Ace had that look on her face, the same one she did when they fell like this in the woods the other day. It drove him mad.

Ace quickly wrapped her arms around Daryl, leaning up to quickly attack his lips. He devoured them as she did back, biting onto them as her cold hands gripped at his chest, sending shivers down his body.

He grinded his hips against hers, her legs open and around him. The way her body felt against him had his heart pumping out of his chest and a groan rolling its way out of his throat.

He got closer to her, his hands gripping onto her hips, sliding down the curves of her body and down to the legs that were tight against him. When his hand got to her inner thigh, he aggressively pushed it flat against the cot, moving to push himself even closer to her. Silent, breathy moans panted out from her and onto his skin, only increasing the heat pumping through his body.

She gripped onto his sides and moved him against her, lifting her hips to do so. He felt his member pulsating, craving to be inside her.

It was then that her hand started to move, running across his chest, his stomach, and the slowly down until finally....

...

Daryl awoke with a jolt, panting furiously as he pushed himself up in bed. He even swung out his hands, ready to shove the girl off of him. But there was nothing.

He quickly looked around, seeing no Ace on top of him and not even one lying on the floor next to him. His heart was still beating fast and his mouth was agape, pushing out breaths feverishly as he tried to figure out what just happened.

What the fuck? _What the fuck?_

Daryl looked down at himself, still huffing, seeing the prominent hardness in his pants. His only reaction was to flop back down on his pillow, running a hand over his face, trying to regain his posture.

He just had a sex dream. What in the hell?

He had no idea what just happened, or where in the hell that came from. He was never a guy to do that, never someone who even had enough experiences with fuckin' someone that he'd know what to do like that. It was like a fucking porno. Daryl felt disgusted with himself.

Daryl tried to get that dream out of his head, tried to stop thinkin' about it so damn hard. But all he could hear in his head was her callin' him D.

With a groan, he sat up and spun his legs off the cot to sit. He needed some god damn air. Fuckin' stupid.

He stood up and shuffled out of the tent, throwing back the now fully open tent flap and stepping outside. It wasn't morning yet, the sun hadn't come up.

Daryl was _fully_ caught off guard when he saw Ace sitting against the stone in his campsite. He was frozen like a god damn rock when he saw her. He forgot she had slept here. Well, he hadn't _forgot_ , but she wasn't in the tent. He didn't have the right mind to even consider where she was.

Ace couldn't sleep and was unsure if Daryl wanted her to leave before morning again, so she just came out here to get some air. But now they met eyes, Daryl's heart starting to race again as he looked into her.

It only took Ace a second to notice the obvious bulge in his pants, making her eyes widen slightly. Daryl shifted on his feet, nearly about to implode. He awkwardly cleared his throat and looked away, making the swift movement to walk off to go take a piss. Every curse word he knew was running through his head. T'hell was goin on with him? This was a nightmare straight out of hell. He was fucking _embarrassed_.

Ace sat there, feeling extremely awkward as he was gone. She just looked straight ahead, frozen. What was she supposed to do? Should she leave? Oh my god.

It took Daryl longer than normal, tryin to calm himself the hell down so he could take a piss. He was fuckin' embarrassed and still couldn't stop thinkin' about his dream. He wanted to bolt. Not a chance in hell he could go back there and face her.

This was it, he thought. Now she was definitely going to run from him. And he needed to run from her.

Ace didn't know if it would be more weird for her to just leave. And she unfortunately couldn't decide before Daryl showed up again. He didn't make eye contact, didn't even face her. His body was tense, shielded from her. All he did was walk up to snatch his crossbow, immediately leaving and storming away.

Ace tried to watch where he was going, but he just walked off into the woods.

Ace was a bit dumbfounded, just stuck there. What the hell had just happened?


	37. Make Room For It

When Ace arrived back at main camp, it wasn't long until the sun was up. Dale was on watch, immediately calling her over to remind her to take her pills. He also offered her a cookie Maggie brought over, which Ace took, but not for herself.

She had a lot on her mind as the group started to wake up, gathering around to eat. Ace lingered away from all of them, standing on the outskirts of the tents. She glanced over to Daryl's spot across the farm, thinking about this morning.

Ace's face was _beet_ red still since she left his camp. Daryl still hadn't come back from the woods.

Ace couldn't even make eye contact with anyone in the group, just shying away. Her whole body was fumbling, she nearly dropped the cookie Dale gave her. Ace was embarrassed, but also cursing at herself. She should have just left when she woke up. Why did she even hang around? Now she had no clue when or if Daryl would _ever_ show himself again. Especially not around her.

Ace looked away and back over to the group. They were talking amongst themselves, making plans to head out to look for Rick and Glenn once they were finished eating.

Ace felt completely isolated from them, like an outsider looking in at someone else's family. But Ace has never had a family, she never had people like this, as broken as they are. And after Frankie, after Sophia, she felt she didn't deserve one.

Ace looked away again, over to the farm house that Maggie and her family lived in together. Everyone had a place, everyone but Ace. She just fucked up the only place she kind of had.

When the group had settled on a plan, finishing their breakfast, Ace spotted Lori walking into her tent. Ace gnawed on her cheek, afraid to be around anyone right now, but figured she should check on Lori. It was the only thing she had to do.

Ace approached hesitantly, peaking her head into the opening of the tent. Lori glanced over when she did. "Come on in," Lori waved her hand, then brushing them off on her jeans and sitting down.

Ace kept her hands tightly in front of her as she ducked under the opening to join Lori. "Feelin' okay?"

"All things considered?" Lori looked up to her and sighed. "Yeah."

Ace nodded. She thought maybe she should check on Lori's cuts again, but they really weren't too bad. And Lori seemed totally fine. As Ace was considering this, Lori looked to her. The mother noticed something on Ace. Hell, it was radiating off of Ace.

"Everything okay?" Lori asked.

Ace glanced at Lori, trying to shake her off. "Yeah, no. Yeah. Fine."

Lori eyed her suspiciously. "Daryl hasn't come back yet," Lori observed. Mostly, Lori was trying to see Ace's reaction.

Ace's face sunk at the mention of Daryl, her eyes quickly darting away from Lori. It was like Lori just couldn't help but get into other people's business. She was so damn curious.

Lori knew she should let it go. Daryl was someone she knew not to bother. And Ace seemed the same way. But she couldn't help it after watching those two together for so long now. She wasn't sure what was going on with the two, maybe there was nothing. But Ace's reaction told her she was assuming right, which made her happy. It was something that kept her mind off of everything else.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lori asked.

Lori was being kind, but Ace couldn't get herself to move. Ace was more afraid of how Daryl would react. She knew he didn't want anyone in his business. And she was already on thin, thin ice with him. "Nothin' to talk about," Ace stated, although everything about her indicated something different. Nonetheless, she held herself as normal as possible.

Lori eyed her but slowly nodded. She let out a sigh as she stood up. "Have you seen Carl?" She changed the subject.

"Not yet," Ace stated, brows furrowing at the woman. Shouldn't she be the one to know?

"If you do, mind telling him to meet me in the house?"

"Sure," Ace nodded simply.

With that, Lori left the tent. Ace took a minute, but soon left as well.

When she stepped outside, Ace sighed. She looked around, easily spotting Carl sitting against a tree a little bit away from everyone else. Ace thought about Sophia, and what would happen if something happened to Carl, too. Ace wasn't a part of his family, but she still had soft spot for him. Maybe she shouldn't, seeing as everyone she cared for ended up getting taken by this cruel world.

Even with this thought, Ace couldn't stop herself from walking over.

She sent Carl a small smile as she approached. Carl sent her one back as Ace slowly sat down next to him under the tree. Ace reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the cookie Dale gave her, handing it over.

Carl smiled weakly, "thanks."

Ace nodded, watching as he just took the cookie and put it in his lap, picking at it. She scrunched her eyes as he sighed, running his finger along the napkin. "I can't stop thinking about Sophia," he admitted, not looking at her.

Ace sucked in a breath and looked down at her shoes.

"I thought I'd find her," Carl said. "Like, me. That I'd be the one. Maybe she was hiding somewhere.. in a cave or a tree. She'd be safe and I'd find her and bring her back."

They looked at each other, Carl squinting up through the sun that peaked under his hat. Ace felt the sadness that hung over Carl, one that she shared, as she looked into his eyes. "Me too," Ace said back truthfully, getting Carl to nod and look away.

"He did the right thing, my dad," Carl started. "Shooting her like that... I would've done it too."

Ace looked at Carl, her face froze as she saw the serious look on Carl's face. This world and what he's seen has hardened him, left him wanting to shoot his own friend in the head. He should never have even had to think something like that. Ace couldn't even do that.

Carl looked away, grabbing the cookie and taking a large bite out of it as Ace just got stuck in what he said and the thoughts that consumed her afterwards. They sat in silence for a moment until Shane was striding over to them, a shotgun in his hands.

"Carl, why don't you go and find your mom," Shane said to him. Carl finished his cookie and nodded, standing up. He sent Ace a wave, which she attempted to send back as he turned and walked away.

"We're goin' into town to look for Rick," Shane turned back to Ace. "You comin?"

Ace took a moment, but nodded, standing up and brushing her clothes off. She didn't make long eye contact with Shane before moving past him and heading over to the car they were packing up.

She stopped by the RV and ran inside, grabbing her weapons she had left in her bag earlier and buttoning up the shirt Daryl gave her because it was chilly this morning. Her face once again turned into a frown as she thought of Daryl. Ugh.

Ace tried to shake it off, hoping some time away from the farm would help him. She jogged back down the RV steps and turned to head in the direction of Shane's car. Almost immediately she made eye contact with Daryl.

He had come over, crossbow on his back, pulling his long sleeved button up shirt away from his neck, exposing his collar bone. He was about to take a drink from his canteen before they saw each other. The atmosphere grew tense instantly, making him freeze.

Daryl quickly looked away and Ace looked at the ground as she walked over, she could feel the blush choking her from the throat up. She thought about leaving, not bothering Daryl anymore. He needed space, which was obvious when he _ran_ from her this morning.

But Shane signaled her to come over. And Ace would make it worse if she ran in the other direction.

The awkward atmosphere could be cut with a knife as they stood across the car from each other. Ace didn't know exactly what, but something had changed between them last night. Ace had hoped maybe something changed for the better, but she knew maybe this change was worse. Maybe this was the tipping point of Daryl finally ridding himself of her once and for all. It made Ace upset, she hadn't done anything wrong. She wished it could've gone another way.

And it was obvious the group could sense this too, for T-Dog was glancing between the two as they started to pack up the car.

Ace grabbed the extra gallon of gasoline sitting by the tire, going to put it in the trunk, but not noticing Daryl went to put something in there at the same time. They looked at each other, in a different way than they ever have before, and then Daryl cleared his throat, stepping away. He had an agitated scowl on his face.

Thankfully, Andrea getting their attention got them to forget about the awkwardness.

"Guys," Andrea pointed down the farm, to the road they had once drove up.

There was a red station wagon speeding down. It had to be Rick. Perfect timing.

Everyone stepped away from Shane's car and ran over to the one that was now kicking up dirt down the road. It seemed to be a relief for everyone that Glenn, Hershel, and Rick all made it back.

Immediately, Carl and Lori were running over to Rick, and Maggie was running over to Glenn and Hershel.

Ace was relieved they were back too, because as she looked at Shane, who didn't even try to fake being pleased by Rick back anymore, she knew if Shane was left in charge, things would fall to shit even faster.

Ace walked behind T-dog, watching the reunions that made her feel even more out of place. She was looking around, only to see that sitting in the back of the car, was another person.

"Who the hell is that?" T-dog noticed as well, pointing over to the van.

Everyone's face fell as they stepped over and Glenn looked back at the person.

"That's Randall."

Ace was alert, stepping back as she eyed Rick and Daryl who went over to yank him out of the back seat. He was barely conscious. Ace's initial reaction was fear and discomfort at this new person, but at the same time, she knew that she was once in his spot. Well, not exactly, because as Rick began explaining, it turned out he really was a threat.

"Look, everybody just get in the house. We'll talk about this," Rick ordered, looking to Ace who was standing the closest to him. "Ace-can you?" He signaled her over to help carry Randall, who Daryl was on the other side of. Fucking christ they were just making this worse.

Ace unhappily obliged, taking her hand off her knife. Daryl didn't dare meet her eyes.

"Lock him in the barn for now," Rick said, and Daryl grunted as he caught the handcuffs Rick tossed to him.

Immediately Shane was after Rick, angry, everyone following them into the house.

Half of Randall's weight was now on Ace as her and Daryl dragged him towards the farm in silence. He was quietly groaning, as Ace was trying not to do because his weight was putting a painful pressure on her back. She was weak. They lugged him over, passing by the blood that still remained on the ground from the massacre yesterday. Ace tried to ignore it.

Daryl harshly swung open the barn door, grunting as he did. They walked a little further in and dumped him on the ground. Randall let out a yelp, rolling off of his leg that was wrapped in a shirt, covered in blood.

Ace panted slightly as Daryl leaned down and roughly sat him up, putting his wrists and locking them tight in the handcuffs. The kid was breathing heavily, looking not much younger than Ace. But he was still a kid.

Daryl stood back up, panting as he looked at Randall. And Ace looked at Daryl, wanting to say something, but not knowing if she should.

Daryl huffed and turned around, straightening the strap of his crossbow on his shoulder and practically storming away. Ace watched him go, able to sense his anger that he held with her. She sighed and left as well, shutting the barn doors and locking it up behind her.

Ace didn't really know if she wanted to go to this group meeting, but did anyways. She walked slowly behind Daryl towards the house, giving him enough space. He didn't look at her as she stepped inside after him, letting the screen door rattle shut behind her. Ace just leaned against the opposite wall and listened to the group starting to bicker.

"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would've bled out," Rick stated, leaning against the back of a chair, the rest of the group either sitting or standing around the table.

"What do we do with him?" Andrea asked.

Rick looked at her, not exactly having an answer.

"I'm going to repair his calf muscle as best as I can, but he'll probably have nerve damage. Won't be on his feet for at least a week," Hershel announced. Ace remembered she needed to speak to Hershel. She probably could be helpful with Randall.

Shane shook his head, about to snap.

"When he does we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road and send him on his way."

"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea argued.

The debate on the morals of what to do with this kid rolled out before Ace, but she just watched, listened. She didn't feel like she had a say in this decision, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be decided well.

When Shane started to run his mouth, the same way he did when he opened up the barn, Ace looked away. She knew Shane would just want to kill him.

Rick and Shane started to yell across the room about if he was a threat or not, especially since he was with a group shooting at them, but eventually Shane just scoffed and stormed out. He met eyes with Ace as he left, his expression seeming colder than ever.

After that, the conversation simmered down, a decision not being made at this moment. Ace stayed still as everyone started to leave on their own ways. Ace didn't dare glance back at Daryl, even if she wanted to.

It came to the point where it was just her and Dale left and he signaled her to follow him. "Let's get some water."

Ace, not having any other place to be, followed him out of the house. They started on their way towards one of the wells, Dale walking purposefully slow for her, knowing she was weak. When they got clear of the group, Dale started to talk about Shane. Dale knew as much as Ace did that Shane was dangerous. Hell, Shane all but throws it in Dale's face. But maybe that is why Ace gets along so well with Dale. He knows all the shit that's broken with this group, just like Ace.

When Ace didn't respond to him, stuck in her head and already knowing everything there is to know about Shane, Dale looked at her.

"How are you feeling?"

Ace glanced over to him as they arrived at the well. "Fine."

"You know," Dale sighed as they stopped, grabbing a bucket leaning against the well. "The lying is only going to end up hurting you."

Ace looked at him, stuck, not having anything to respond. She was never one to open up, never one to complain, but her cancer was so much more. She was dying, and it was best to just die rather than get everyone worked up over it. But that was stupid. Ace knew if she ever wanted a chance at finding her little sister, she needed to start accepting her options. And now that Sophia is found, she has nothing stopping her anymore. She was just waiting for things to calm down, but they really never seemed to do that.

"Is it Daryl?" Dale caught Ace off guard with his question.

"What?" Ace asked, surprised.

Dale gave her a look. "You two haven't been talking today, did something happen?"

Ace just looked at him quizzically, confused by what he meant and the fact he noticed. But at the same time, her face turned red again.

"Oh, come on," Dale smiled. "We see the way you two are together."

Ace literally had no idea what he _saw._ Hell, Daryl made her leave his tent before morning so no one would see. He was a dick to her half the time. But she didn't mind it. At the very least all the group could see was that they were friends.

"I think some how in this crazy world, you got Daryl Dixon to care about you," Dale raised his eyebrow, waiting for Ace to disagree.

But Ace was stuck. Why was he saying these things to her on today of all days? She couldn't catch a break. She had no clue what to think today. She had thought her and Daryl just fought well together. They just thought the same, different than this crazy group. But lately Ace was realizing she had started to truly _care_ for him. Slowly, she was trying to put together the pieces that Daryl cared for her, too. But it was fragile. And it shattered into pieces this morning.

When Ace didn't respond, Dale shook his head, chuckling as he went over to start pumping water from the well.

Ace stood there silently, waiting for him, what he said running through her head. She got lost in her thoughts for a moment, but scrunched her face as she started to hear something. She swears she heard growling.

"Dale," Ace called, getting him to look up at her. "Stop."

He looked at Ace confused, but now that it was completely silent, she definitely heard groaning. It was all too familiar of a sound. She walked over to the well and peaked over, her stomach dropping when she saw a large, bloated walker, swimming around in their drinking water.

"Oh shit," Dale said, coming up behind her, now looking over to see it as well.

\----

Dale had ran to grab some more members of the group as Ace stood there and looked at the walker. Disgusting. She might puke again.

Andrea, Shane, Glenn, and Maggie followed behind Dale as he lead them to the well. Ace noticed Daryl wasn't there, he had probably run off again.

Everyone started to circle around the well, Dale shining a flash light down it. "Ah, looks like we've got us a swimmer."

Everyone's face scrunched in disgust as they looked down at the fat, wrinkly walker. All his skin was pruned over and his face had pockets of liquid blood protruding out. Ace definitely felt sick again.

"How long do you think it's been down there?" Glenn asked, seeming pale.

"Long enough to grow gills," Andrea said, not taking her eyes off of it.

"We can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doing to the water," Lori said. Ace didn't think it was a good idea to drink this water anymore, even if they manage to somehow get it out. They should just shoot it and block off the well.

"We got to get it out," Shane said, already cooking up a plan.

"There's no point," Ace mumbled. Who would want to drink this water?

"Maybe it hasn't contaminated the water yet," Dale shrugged.

T-dog offered what Ace was thinking, to just shoot it in the head, but Andrea and Shane disagreed. "So it has to come out alive?" T-dog asked. The group all looked at each other, silently saying yes. Ace cursed. T-Dog sighed. "I'll get a rope."

T-Dog ran off and all of them waited, just staring at the swimming piece of flesh below them. It was so fat it couldn't even move to try and reach for them. T-dog brought back a chunk of meat, thinking that maybe they could lure it out. Of course that didn't work, it was too easy. Nothing was that easy anymore.

Ace was against all of this, but she knew these people were going to do what they were going to do.

"We need live bait," Andrea stated, standing up straight.

Immediately eyes went over to Ace and Glenn. They were the only two small and quick enough. When Maggie saw them looking at Glenn, she stepped forward.

"No," Maggie immediately demanded. "You people are crazy."

She wasn't wrong.

"I'll do it," Ace stepped forward.

They all looked at her, not one of them arguing. Except Dale, who tried, of course.

"Ace-" Dale knew she was weak and shouldn't be doing it, but Ace ignored him. That's exactly why it should be her doing it. Frankly, if she died... she died. She's probably going to anyway, no need to put any of these healthy people in danger.

"Tie the rope around there, I'll go down," Ace said, pointing to the metal pump of the well, stepping over to the opening of the dark hole.

"Well alright," Shane said, taking the other end of the rope from T-dog and coming over to Ace. Shane helped her slide it around her body, tying it tightly around her waist as T-dog tied the other end. Dale came over, giving Ace a look, warning her. Ace ignored it and took the flashlight he was unhappily offering her.

"We'll drop you down nice and slow, alright?" Shane said next to her.

Ace's heart was beating faster than normal, but she just nodded. She didn't really care anymore. She sat down on the edge of the well, holding the flashlight in one hand and another rope Shane handed her to put around the walker. Before she went down, she pulled off her loose jacket and the button up of Daryl's, leaving her in her tank top.

"Here we go," Shane called as him and the rest of the group held on to the other side of her rope.

Ace let out a breath and pushed off the edge of the well, propping herself up by pushing her feet against the inside of it. Little by little she dropped down, hearing the groans of the walker become louder and louder.

Her back was killing her and the walker made her stomach churn, but she ignored it and kept going, shining the light down on him. She was surprisingly calm.

Ace got the rope ready as she got closer to the snarling beast. It now started to reach up, trying to grab at her feet. She propped them up against the stones inside of the well, getting ready to catch this son of a bitch.

That is until she heard a creak, then a snap, then screaming. Before she could _wonder_ what it was, the rope was loose and she was falling towards the walker. A loud gasp ripped its way from her chest.

Thinking fast on her feet, Ace panted, digging her toes into the stones and holding her body up with every ounce of strength she had left.

She could hear the group above her yelling, scrambling to get ahold of the rope as the walker below her grabbed onto her shirt. She could feel herself slipping and let out loud grunts of pain that ran through her spine as she used her weakest area to hold herself up.

The walker was snarling louder, trying to pull Ace down. Ace took the flashlight in her hand and with as much strength as she could, hit the walker with it on the side of his head, getting it to fall to the side. She used this opportunity to take the rope, letting herself fall down, not caring if she goes too far, and wrap it around his body.

"Ace! _Ace_!"

"Get her up!"

She could hear the group struggling, but Ace still was falling. Water was soaking through her clothes, the splashing from the walker blurring her vision.

It was to the point that the walker almost had her when Ace felt the rope tighten and she started to get yanked away. Ace nearly blacked out, not realizing when they pulled her back to the top. Shane ran over and grabbed onto her arms, yanking her up as hard as he could.

Ace gripped onto the side of the well and pulled herself up, Shane helping her get out of the dark pit. When Ace felt ground, she landed on her hands and knees, panting feverishly as she let her head bow down.

"Are you okay? Are you alright?" Dale ran over petrified, bending down next to her.

Ace nodded, holding up the end of the rope that she had succeeded in tying the walker up in. Shane grabbed it, surprise written on his face as he tugged on it. She actually did it.

But Ace felt her cancer shoot the sharpest pain she's ever felt up her spine and down to her toes. She figured it couldn't get worse, until she heard _him_.

"T'hell are ya doin'?!" Daryl yelled, storming over.

The group immediately took a step back from Ace, letting Daryl run up. _Shit_.

"Ace? What t'hell is wrong with all ya?!" He snapped at them as he crouched down and grabbed Ace by the arm, helping her up. She winced as Daryl got her to stand, not letting go of his tight grip on her arm. He had heard what was going on. "Ya stupid?!" Daryl yelled at the group, none of them daring to say anything. Ace was breathing too heavily to, either. "Lowerin' her down in a well?! She could'a fuckin' died!"

"Daryl," Shane stepped forward, holding his hand out.

"Nah," Daryl looked around. "Ain't none of ya give a shit. Bunch'a fuckin' pussies."

With that, he helped Ace stand and practically dragged her away. Ace glanced back to see Dale giving her a look as they went off, eyes wide.

Daryl marched her to the closest fucking place he could. There was a picnic bench not too far from the RV that he brought her to. He basically threw her down onto it. "Ya crazy? Or jus' damn stupid, Ace?" Daryl snapped at her, pacing. "Lettin' 'em lower ya into the well like a piece of meat!"

"I offered," Ace mumbled under her breath.

Daryl stopped and looked at her.

"Ya damn stupid then," he huffed angrily. "None of them idiots give a shit about ya!"

Ace sucked in a breath at his harsh comment and Daryl paused only for a second at the venom of his own words. Daryl saw the blank look on Ace's face, the lack of reaction. He knew the girl was bein' stupid, but what was even worse was that she was being reckless. And _worse_ than that, he gave a shit. And it drove him mad that he did.

"Ya bit?!" He came closer when he calmed down a bit, crouching down in front of her. "Scratched?"

Daryl started lifting up her arms, searching for any marks. Ace watched his scrunched face as he did, growing confused at how he was reacting so strongly. Ace had thought earlier he would never come near her again. What Dale said was loud in her head.

Daryl put his fingers on her jaw, turning her face so he could check her neck. When he was satisfied with only seeing dirt, he dropped his hand, but then their eyes met.

Ace felt something strange, looking into his bright blue eyes. She thought about how weird it had been between them since this morning. But then she thought to how he was now, realization taking control of her face. Dale was right. Ace had been right. Daryl cared. He cared about her.

When Daryl noticed Ace start to figure shit out, he quickly snapped his hands back. He had his hands on her face, he _touched_ her like in his dream. Daryl wanted to crawl out of his body.

Just like that Ace could feel the uncomfortableness return. Ace watched as Daryl's demeanor changed, his body growing tense and rigid. Ace was waiting for him to run off again.

When Daryl spotted Dale walking over to them, he did exactly that.

Ace frowned as Daryl stormed off. She didn't do anything this time, he just wanted nothing to do with her again. Or he couldn't be kind to her in front of the group. Ace didn't know if she should feel hurt or pissed off. He couldn't just keep avoiding her.

"Ace," Dale hurried over from behind her. He quickly set his rifle down on the table and sat next to her. He held his hands out, not sure if he should touch her.

"I'm okay," Ace spoke softly to Dale. Dale took her in, his eyes staring her down. When he saw the look on her face, he quickly turned to look at the direction Daryl stormed off in. "I'm sorry," Ace pulled Dale's attention back. She felt so bad for making him concerned all the time.

Dale sighed, patting her hand. "Please, tell them. Its time, Ace." He pleaded.

Ace sucked in a breath, nodding her head. "I will," she spoke softly to him. "Just give me a few days. I'll talk to Hershel."

Dale relaxed, finally feeling like something was getting through to her. But his posture immediately stiffened when someone was screaming at them.

"Ace!"

Ace jumped, shooting her head over to the direction of the farm. Lori was running to them. She shouldn't be running, what was happening? Ace and Dale both stood, watching as Lori jogged up to them. "Ace, I need your help."

"Are you okay?" Ace breathed, looking over Lori.

"It's Beth," Lori tried to catch her breath. "She woke up from some type of catatonic shock. She wants to _kill_ herself."

Ace's stomach twisted, but she quickly pulled herself away from the bench, joining Lori.

"Do you need help?" Dale followed after, shock on his features. He was worried about Ace going at it right after she fell into that well.

"It's okay," Ace turned to him. "I got this. Just check on Randall?"

Dale nodded, watching the two women rush off towards the house.

"Maggie's with her now," Lori informed, stress on her features. "She didn't want Hershel to know. I figured you could check on her."

Ace didn't know what exactly she could do to help, but she still nodded, walking into the house with Lori. When they got inside, Maggie was in the kitchen, cradling a glass of water. Maggie looked over as Lori came in, immediately curious about Beth. "Andrea's with her," Maggie stated, then glanced to Ace.

Lori let out a sigh, nodding. "Ace used to be an EMT," Lori told Maggie. "Maybe its just the shock. I thought Ace could check on her to be safe."

Maggie nodded, setting down her glass of water. "Sure." Maggie led the two towards a bedroom down the hall. Ace followed behind. When Maggie got into the room, she immediately saw the empty bed. Andrea wasn't there either. "Beth?" She called out.

Ace walked in as Maggie went over to the bathroom door, she could hear sobbing from the other side. "Beth?" Maggie rushed over. She grabbed the door knob right when glass shattered from inside. "Beth?!" Maggie cried, banging at the door. "It's locked!" Maggie yelled behind her.

Ace ran over to the door as Maggie started yanking at it. "Beth, don't do this. Don't do this. Open up, please."

"Where's the key?" Lori asked, starting to rummage through drawers.

Ace looked around the room, head spinning as she began to panic. Luckily, she spotted a fire iron leaning against the wall. Ace quickly snatched it, rushing over to the door. Maggie saw and rushed to the side, allowing Ace to jam it in over the handle. Ace let out a grunt as she wedged it back, pulling with all the strength her back would allow. When the wood cracked and the door swung open, Maggie shoved her way inside.

"I'm sorry," Beth sobbed. Looking down, she was holding onto her wrist, blood seeping between her fingers.

Maggie ran to her, pulling Beth into her chest, crying as she led her out of the bathroom. "Its okay, its okay," Maggie cried.

"Come here," Ace went to the side of the bed, pulling back the blankets. Maggie sat Beth down carefully, afraid to let her go. "Do you have any thread? A needle?" Ace asked.

"In my dads office."

"I'll grab it," Lori announced, spinning to rush off.

Ace went back into the bathroom, snatching a towel and running it underneath the sink water. "Here, put pressure on it," Ace came back and handed the wet towel to Maggie.

Lori was back quickly, shoving over all that was in her hands to Ace. Needle, thread, gauze, ointment, and bandages. Ace laid it all out on the bed, picking out what she needed. As she did so, Maggie stood up, giving Ace room.

"She's okay?" Maggie asked, voice hoarse from her tears. Ace went to sit on the bed next to Beth, gently taking her hand. Ace peeled away the towel, inspecting the cut. She didn't go vertical to split open the vein, that was good.

"Its not deep," Ace informed. "Didn't hit vein."

Maggie let out a breath, nodding her head. Lori came over and rubbed her back.

Ace cleaned the incision as best as she could before grabbing a needle and thread, ripping a piece off with her teeth. The bleeding was slowing down now. "She'll be just fine," Ace spoke quietly.

"I should go get my dad," Maggie spoke softly, teary eyes watching her sister.

"We'll stay with her," Lori nodded. "Go get some air."

Maggie numbly walked out of the room while Lori came to sit on the opposite side of the bed. She brushed Beth's hair back as Ace began to stitch up her wrist. Ace was doing her best to keep her head straight and not yet think about the situation. She had to provide medical care before any of her personal thoughts or opinions came. Thats just how it was.

Ace finished stitching very fast, for it was not a large wound. Maggie came back in the room, saying her dad was on his way, when Ace started to bandage Beth's wrist. Once finished, Ace didn't even look up as she started to clean everything.

"We'll give you some space," Lori smiled kindly at Maggie. Ace looked up at this, glancing around. She caught eyes with Maggie, only being capable of sending her a nod before she followed Lori out of the room. Once they got into the living room, Ace let out a breath. It all started to hit her now that she got away from it.

"I need to go speak with Andrea," Lori told Ace, her voice now coming out more serious. Ace nodded, not having any words to share, watching as Lori stormed out of the farm house. Now alone, Ace went over and slumped onto the couch. Her head fell into her hands which still were covered in Beth's blood. But she just needed a second.

Ace's chest heaved, trying to understand _any_ of this. She didn't know Beth, but she knew Beth had lost her family when Shane cracked open that barn of walkers. Ace didn't understand Andrea either, who left Beth alone.

Ace closed her eyes, trying to distance herself mentally from this problem. Beth was fine now, thats all that mattered.

And Ace's back was fucking killing her.

\--

Ace spent the rest of the day in the house. She felt too ill, too weak to do anything else.

Eventually, Ace peeled herself off of the couch and out of her internal anguish to go upstairs to the bathroom. She cleaned herself up in the sink, wiping dirt and blood off of her skin. She had noticed then that she was still in her tank top, having left her shirt and jacket by the well.

When the sun started to set, Ace was sitting on the porch steps. Hershel and Maggie were inside with Beth. Everyone else was at the campsite, Ace could see them. She watched for a while, but felt no interest in joining. Daryl wasn't there, he still hadn't come back from wherever he ran off too. So Ace stayed until it was dark and crickets chirped. She had watched the group discuss things together, figuring it had to do with Randall. But whatever it was, it would wait until morning. Which meant Ace could wait until morning to care.

For once, Ace's mind felt blank, which was slightly concerning. She just was so _tired._

A while later when the group had gone to bed, Daryl spotted Ace's figure from aways back as she sat there. The porch light was still on, illuminating her.

Ace heard him approaching, but didn't look up. She kept her gaze set outwards as Daryl shuffled past her, silently sitting on the porch steps. He sat on the other end, against the opposite railing. He put his crossbow in between his legs.

Ace didn't glance at him, not really in the mood for anymore confusion from him tonight.

Daryl sat there with her for a minute before he spoke. "Ya alright?"

Ace nodded, looking blankly ahead. Daryl watched her for a minute. "We good?"

This had Ace finally looking over to him, meeting his eyes. That was a question she should be asking him, but the fact he brought it up meant maybe he got over whatever was eating away at him today. Ace considered him for a moment, responding with another question. "Gonna be a dick again?"

Daryl scoffed, shifting his crossbow around. "Maybe," he joked.

This got Ace to crack a smirk, rolling her eyes as she huffed out a laugh. Daryl looked away, smirking now, too.

Silence rolled between them, but this time it was comfortable. So much so, a yawn broke its way out of Ace's throat.

Daryl glanced at her, pushing himself up off the steps. "C'mon."

Ace watched as he started to head back, considering only for a moment before she got up and followed him. 


	38. Time Ticks By

The next few days went well for Ace. Surprisingly.

There wasn't much commotion on the farm, for the group was waiting a week until Randall could walk again, and then they were going to send him on his way.

It had only been four days, but they were four days Ace desperately needed to get not only her life, but her head under control.

Each morning she left Daryl's tent at the crack of dawn. He hadn't said anything about it, but she didn't want to push him. And anyway, Dale was there each morning for her to join on watch before everyone else woke up. He of course would make her take her pills, and eventually ended up pestering her so much about eating that she gave in and actually got back on a decent eating schedule.

Dale had eased up on bugging Ace about telling someone about her cancer because she seemed to be regaining her strength. Whether it was the medicine, the fact that she was eating again, resting, or just having Dale to help her, Ace surprisingly felt better. Deep down she had a fear that it wouldn't last long, hell, she still had cancer inside of her, but lately she didn't feel so damn hopeless. She felt that maybe, just maybe, she could survive this.

Ace had to spoken with Hershel, but not about her cancer. Instead she formally introduced herself, telling him that she has some experience with medical training as a former EMT. The main goal of this conversation was to get an understanding of Hershels experience and medical supplies before Ace told anyone of her cancer.

Hershel was a veterinarian, but had decent experience with the basics of surgery. He had lots of supplies left over from Carl's gunshot wound, as well. Still, Ace knew she would have to make a trip to a hospital. She wasn't going to speak a word of cancer unless she knew she could get the chemo bags she needed. Otherwise, all of this was pointless.

Ace now was left with planning that trip. She wasn't sure what to do, for she knew if she brought it up she would have to explain. She was thinking about telling Rick she wanted to go for Lori, find some more supplies for her. But then she stopped herself, she didn't want anyone else putting their lives on the line for her. Daryl would be the first to offer to go.

Ace was the one dying, she should be the only one going. If she died, then there wouldn't really be a loss.

Ace glanced at Dale. She knew he was going to fight her on this. Although, she was extremely thankful he had forced his way into her hell of a life. She just didn't know how to repay him.

"Aye!" Daryl calling up at them got Ace to look down off of the top of the RV. Dale put down the book he was reading and looked over to Ace.

"Daryl again?" Dale asked, giving her that same look he has for the past few days. Ace smiled to herself.

"Yeah, I'll be back later," Ace stood up, placing her book down on the folding chair she sat on.

Dale and Ace came up with a system. One person takes watch and one person reads, then they switch once a chapter is finished. But, since there isn't much going on with the group for once, her and Daryl have gone out hunting each day. So Ace ends up leaving after a few hours when Daryl wakes up. They were hoping to bring back a deer this week.

"Be careful," Dale said, looking at her from above his glasses.

"Don't read too much, it's bad for your eyes," Ace sent a quick smile and walked to the other side of the RV, climbing down the latter and over to Daryl. She had her glasses on, too.

Dale snorted and rolled his eyes, going back down to his book with a smile.

Ace approached Daryl who was holding her gun and knife out to her. "Here. Left these," he said, handing Ace what she left behind in the tent. Daryl still wasn't completely comfortable with her staying with him. No one in the group really saw but Dale, which still made Daryl itch. But each night she came back. And each night he just let her.

"Thanks," Ace mumbled as she grabbed them and slid them in the sheath attached to her waist.

"Ready?" Daryl asked, Ace simply nodding before they turned and walked off. They passed by the rest of the group, receiving some looks, but most of them were too tired to care. Ace made eye contact with Shane who was on watch outside of the barn. He was growing more antsy by the day, just wanting to kill Randall and be done with it.

Ace sighed and looked away, walking into the woods next to Daryl.

They were quiet as they started pushing through, both crouched down a bit, holding their weapons out in their hands. There is no way anything could hear them coming, for their footsteps were eerily quiet. They had a bit of a routine by now, after going out so many times before. They would separate, just far enough that they could barely see each other, walk a few miles down, and then meet back together. Daryl had the most luck with hitting squirrels with his crossbow, but Ace was getting better at using her knife. It was rare that she could, but she was starting to be able to throw it and nail the occasional rabbit or squirrel.

But mostly Ace just set up her traps. Daryl had showed her how to make a few out of sticks and string. They usually had caught something by the time they walked back.

Ace was enjoying the solitude out in the woods with Daryl. Being away from the craziness of the group was helping her mind ease up. She still had so much on it, though.

Things with her and Daryl were okay, but just okay. He was still extremely tense around her, like he had this itch to him. At first it bothered Ace how he shielded himself from her, but over time she became used to it. The fact that he was letting her come hunting or come to his tent was enough. That at least meant he wanted her nearby, which made her feel better. She enjoyed their time together, it was quiet and simple. And Ace, starting to learn more about how Daryl was, knew better than to ask him anything. One wrong look or word and he would snap. Especially if they were around anyone else. Ace had noticed very quickly how Daryl would keep his distance from her if other people were around, his entire body tense. So Ace would not push him. She just had to rid herself of all her thoughts and feelings. Although, she found herself hoping one day Daryl would be more comfortable with her.

Time ticked by as Ace weaved through her side of the woods, keeping her eyes open. She hadn't seen any walkers yet, she thought that maybe the colder it got, the less there would be? Maybe the winter would slow them down?

Ace sighed and went to meet up with Daryl later on, still not coming across any of the dead. She was about to cross over to go to him when she heard scurrying in front of her. She slowly crouched down, seeing a rabbit kicking up leaves. The rabbit was close to Ace, so she held out her hand, moving slowly. She made slight kissing noises, watching as the rabbit spotted her. It sat still, looking at Ace's' hand.

It was now that Daryl started to come over, but Ace glanced up, giving him a look and throwing up a hand that told him to hold on. He was confused, but his face softened as he saw Ace luring over a rabbit. Daryl was going to just shoot it with his crossbow, but he was too mesmerized by watching Ace that he didn't. For some reason, the rabbit hopped right over to Ace's hand, sniffing her finger tips. Daryl had no idea why, or what the hell the girl did to get it over to her. Maybe she just had that effect on people, there was somethin' about her that seemed to do that damn same thing with him.

Before Daryl could think about it too much, Ace made a swift movement to grab the rabbit and instantly snap its neck. Daryl's face lifted in surprise, squinting at Ace as she stood up and tucked the dead rabbit into her belt.

"Should we go further?" Ace asked, acting nonchalantly about what Daryl just witnessed.

He looked at her for a moment, but then nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "Uh-huh, think I might'a saw some deer tracks headin' up ahead."

Ace nodded and Daryl turned, starting to lead her towards the deer tracks. The followed them together for a while, searching around the woods until the sun started it's descent down. They were about to just leave it and head back, not wanting to be out past dark.

"Stupid thing jus' doesn't want to be caught," Daryl grumbled. He had been patient all day following this deer, unlike ever before, but the sum' bitch was giving him a hard time.

"I don't think anything wants to be caught," Ace mumbled, probably should of just kept her mouth shut like always.

Daryl shot her a look over his shoulder, trying to ignore her smart ass comments.

Ace was about to offer to start heading back, knowing if she didn't eat and take her pills soon, she'd start to feel a lot worse. But right as she opened her mouth Daryl held his hand out and crouched down. Ace did as he did and crouched down next to him, but didn't see what he had. Daryl looked over to her, his blue eyes burning into hers before he pointed to their left.

There it was. Their deer.

Daryl steadied his crossbow as the deer picked at the grass below it, sucking in a deep breath. Ace watched him, his entire arm and back flexing from the posture. She saw his chest expand as he slowly let out his breath, letting his arrow fly across and straight into the deer. Ace let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and they both stood up. Daryl cursed when he saw the deer start to run, not having hit it in the right spot. It was too dark.

"Shit."

Ace watched it start to run off, and pulled out her knife. She wasn't even thinking as she grabbed onto the tip and threw it, letting out a grunt of strength.

Her and Daryl watched as the knife spun through the woods, close to where the deer was running to. Ace didn't think she'd get close, and couldn't even tell if she did. But then they heard the deer let out a whine, shuffling the leaves below it as it collapsed.

Daryl looked at her, impressed and shocked at how good of a shot that just was. It was one in a million.

Ace only glanced at him for a second before they both jogged over to where the deer was, letting out happy breaths as they saw it collapsed on the ground. Daryl's bolt hit right below the neck, but Ace's knife finished it off, going right into its jugular and severing the artery.

"Nice shot," Daryl breathed, looking at the deer at his feet.

"You too," Ace sighed out, satisfied. Her and Daryl worked well together, they were both starting to realize that.

"Let's get this sum' bitch back," Daryl threw his crossbow onto his shoulder, going over to grab its front. "We're gonna be eatin' good tonight."

Ace walked over and grabbed onto the hind legs, helping Daryl lift it up. With a grunt, they got it up and started dragging it back towards the farm.

By the time they got back, it was completely dark. Ace and Daryl walked in satisfied silence, happy with their accomplishments today. With all the shit that has been going on, especially for them two, it was nice to have little things like this. But what they didn't realize was how nice it was to have each other.

Ace and Daryl glanced at each other, both having the same look in their eye and smirking at each other.

Today was a good day.

\---

But that was the last good day.

The next morning, Dale greeted Ace with the news that Randall was up on his feet earlier than expected. Rick and Shane were taking him 18 miles out today.

Ace could feel the tension between Rick and Shane as they got into the car together. And as they drove off down the farm, Ace knew something was going to happen. Rick and Shane alone? How could anything good come from that? Maybe she should have offered to go. No. No, it was time for them to explode. Whatever was going to happen has been a long time coming, and Ace needed to stay far from it.

Daryl and Ace were asked to not go out hunting today by Rick, for he wanted everyone to stay put while he was gone. And he needed Daryl's help to watch over everything.

Daryl was warming back up to everyone now that Ace had got him to calm down. She didn't know she was doing it, and Daryl didn't either, but her presence for some reason stopped him from being so angry. Ace forcing herself around him had made him start to get over himself, slowly beginning to hang around the rest of the group more. He was getting used to it. Being in not a so shitty mood with her was bringing him further out of his shell. Almost as it was for her.

Ace sat back up on watch with Dale. It was her turn to read, but she didn't even realize that she had gotten distracted. She was watching the group, but ended up just watching Daryl on the picnic table. He was sitting on the bench, crossbow next to him, finishing up skinning the rabbits they caught yesterday. Hershel had let them string up the deer in the barn to skin and gut. Daryl had finished that last night, storing as much as he could in Hershel's fridge. The rest was on the table, T-Dog ready to cook it up.

Dale noticed that Ace was distracted, lost in her head. He looked at her and saw she was looking at Daryl, making him smirk.

"You know," Dale cleared his throat. Ace snapped back to the real world and quickly looked away. Dale smiled. "You read faster when you actually look at the book."

Ace glanced up at him, toying with the edge of the sleeves of her jacket. Dale chuckled, shifting the rifle in his lap. "Don't worry, I'll let you finish your chapter."

Dale was giving Ace that stupid look, the one he just keeps giving her all the time. He was teasing her as he usually did. Ace didn't mind it, but she was so terrified of him saying something to or about Daryl that would make Daryl mad at her and run off. So Ace looked away, back down to her book, trying to read the words, but her thoughts distracting her again.

After a moment of silence, Dale spoke again. "Just be careful, okay?" He looked ahead and Ace scrunched her eyebrows, turning to him.

"With what?" She asked.

"With Daryl," Dale stated, looking over to Daryl sitting at the table still.

Ace knew it was coming, following Dale's eyes to Daryl as well. She watched how his angel wings moved as he skinned the rodents.

"He's just... _Daryl_ ," Dale sighed. "None of us even knew if he had a civil bone in his body for the longest time."

Ace continued to look at Daryl. He wasn't nearly as bad as this group made him out to be. The group were the uncivil ones half the time. He sure could be a dick though.

"Until you came along that is," Dale sat back in his chair but Ace stayed watching Daryl. She was growing tired of people talking about other people, that's all this group seemed to do. She enjoyed Daryl's company because he didn't do that. With him it is simple. Well, maybe thats a stretch. Daryl is definitely not simple, but the time she spends with him is sometimes.

"You should tell him," Dale said, quieter now. "About you... your cancer."

Ace's eyes dropped down, her head still pointed in Daryl's direction. She couldn't.

"If you don't, he will find out... And we both know how that will go," Dale said.

Ace heard what he was saying, she really did. She knew Daryl was smart, hell, he was a tracker. He would pick up on the clues soon enough. He already almost had. And even if he didn't, when Ace finally gets sick enough, he will have to know. She doesn't like to think of that, though. But at the same time, Ace is pretty sure Daryl's going to have a similar reaction even if she does tell him. Either way, Daryl is going to be _pissed_.

Dale knew this, too, which is why he wanted her to be careful. The group all knows to stand clear of Daryl when he get's on his rampages. Even if he has been getting better. Dale reached over and patted Ace's hand, getting her to look back at him. "You can't go on like this much longer."

He wasn't being rude or threatening, he was been soft, just stating the obvious worry. Sooner than later, Ace won't be able to just take her pills and get by day after day. Sooner than later the cancer will become more of a problem than it is now.

"But-" Dale let out a sigh. "For now you can take watch. It's my turn to read." He smiled, handing her the rifle.

Ace sighed, grabbing it from him and sitting back in her chair as Dale pulled out his book. She let her mind wander as they fell back into silence under the warm sun of midday.

-

"You two comin' down for dinner?" Lori called up from below the RV.

Ace and Dale stayed up on watch all day, mostly just reading and enjoying each other's company. Not much had been going on today, everyone was just antsy for the return of Rick and Shane, ready to move on from the Randall situation. Daryl had stayed near camp all day, which was a first. He was busy skinning animals and collecting firewood all day. Ace had watch him come and go, just as he kept checking to see if she was still on watch.

"Yeah, we're comin," Dale called down, pushing himself up. He looked at Ace and signaled her to follow, knowing she'd try to stay up here. "Let's go, we've got some deer calling our names," he smiled.

Ace reluctantly followed, putting her book down and grabbing her gun to pocket in her sheath. She was just happy to have something that wasn't squirrel for once.

Ace jumped down off the RV after Dale, following him over to the circle of chairs around the campfire. Carol and Lori had cooked up some of the deer, everyone starting to gather around and take a seat while they passed out plates.

Dale went over and greeted Glenn and Andrea, seeming to be in a good mood today. He had been all stressed out about Randall lately, not wanting to leave the kid for dead. Ace felt the same, there wasn't a bone in her body that wanted another living person to get hurt. But this was the best solution. She hoped.

Ace saw an open spot by Daryl who was sitting on the bench of the picnic table with T-Dog, facing the group. All the other chairs being taken, and not wanting to sit by the rest of the group, Ace went over and sat down across from him. Daryl didn't acknowledge her besides a simple glance as she came, looking back down as T-Dog greeted her. T-Dog an extra plate from the table next to him and handing it to Ace. Ace sent a small smile as she took it from him.

They ate quietly, listening to the rest of the group talk. They were discussing Randall, still on edge about Rick and Shane being gone for so long. Lori voiced how it was stupid to risk their own people for someone who is a threat.

"He's just a kid. What if we were him?" Dale said, not wanting this group to be so inhumane about the situation. Ace agreed with Dale, she hated when people had to die. It wasn't right, it only proved that this word has actually gone to shit. She already had a hard time learning to kill walkers, but this was a living, breathing person.

"I'm just trying to think about Carl.. and the baby," Lori added.

Ace looked at Lori, seeing the lines of stress pull at her face. Lori had been doing just fine lately, but Ace was concerned about how much she was running around. Although, Ace wasn't going to try to tell her to sit down and rest. That didn't seem like something Lori would appreciate. Ace started to tune out the group, just poking at the left over deer on her plate. She was afraid to eat too much and make herself sick.

Daryl cleared his throat next to her. "Thinkin' about goin' on a run soon," he spoke lowly, only for Ace to hear. "Get some more shit for winter."

That was his own way of asking her to come, which he didn't really even ask. He didn't have to, Ace already agreeing to come as she nodded. She could use some warmer clothes. And maybe this could give her a chance to scout the nearest hospital.

"Tomorrow?" Ace asked, glancing over to him.

"Eh, maybe the day after," he looked over to the group. "Gotta wait til this shit settles."

Ace nodded, but thought to herself that the shit never really does settle.

The group was starting to finish up eating, still chatting amongst themselves when they heard the sound of tires approaching. They all glanced up to see Shane's green Ford speeding down to the farm. Lori immediately stood up, setting her plate down on her seat as she ran over, Carl following behind. The rest of the group stood, too, walking over to find out what had happened with Randall.

Rick exited first, and Ace immediately noticed the blood he had all over his face. It was obvious some of it was from walkers, but she saw cuts and bruises all over him. And when Shane exited, he had the same.

They fought.

Lori went over and hugged Rick, putting her hands on his face as she asked what happened, seeing the injuries as well. Ace looked at Shane, who didn't even acknowledge the group. He just pushed past them all, angrily storming away. His internal issues with Rick were finally starting to come out.

Rick took a step back and held his hand out to the group. "We couldn't let him go," Rick said, everyone instantly growing tense again.

Randall was still in the car.

"What happened?" Andrea questioned.

"He knows Maggie, says he went to school with her," Rick announced, avoiding explaining what actually happened with Shane. "He knows where the farm is. We can't let him go."

Everyone cursed, the stress of this situation returning.

"We have to kill him."


	39. Judge and Jury

Daryl and Ace sat in silence next to the crackling fire across the farm at Daryl's site.

They weren't doing anything, they weren't speaking, just sitting, thinking. They were trying to think about how to move on, like Daryl said they had to. Tomorrow Rick was going to kill Randall. He was going to execute him. It was like the death penalty, but without the trial and without even considering the other options. Ace understands they didn't have a jail to sentence him to or chains to tie to his ankles, but it still wasn't right. He was just a kid. More people shouldn't have to die.

And Dale was right. What if it was one of them? What if Rick or Glenn hadn't gotten caught by the other group shooting at them and went through this same thing? They'd want a chance then.

Ace just wondered if Rick could actually go through with it. Or would Shane take over and slaughter him heartlessly, like he had done with Otis.

Ace and Daryl continued through the night like this, both feeling something heavy in the air. Once it got late enough that they could hear crickets chirping, Ace stood and walked over to the tent, pushing the flap back and heading inside. She was becoming more welcome in the shelter she was offered. Or maybe she was just starting to care less if Daryl was uncomfortable with it. She left every morning at dawn, anyway.

Daryl looked up and watched her as she did, looking back to the fire when she disappeared.

A little bit later Daryl joined her, zipping up the tent and loudly getting in his cot. He knew Ace was awake, he barely ever saw the girl sleep, she was always up thinking about some shit all night. Much like himself.

Which Ace was, laying flat on her back below Daryl. She watched as he made his way to his bed, sighing when he laid down.

"What is it?" He more of stated then asked, knowing something was on her mind. Daryl could see it all over her face, and if he didn't ask, the girl wouldn't ever sleep. That meant Daryl would never sleep. He had a hard time when she was so close to him.

Ace laid there, taking a moment before responding. "I don't think he should be killed," Ace said quietly into the dark night.

Daryl didn't respond right away, just adjusted on his cot so his hand was propping up his head as he looked at the top of the tent. "He's gotta be," Daryl spoke lowly.

Ace shook her head. He didn't have to be. The group just wanted the outsider off their hands. They didn't know how to fix this. "He actually has a chance to survive," Ace mumbled, more so to herself. "Shouldn't take that from him."

Daryl's eyebrows creased as he lifted his head up, looking over to Ace. "T'hell does that mean?"

Ace was cursing the fact that she was growing comfortable enough to actually speak her thoughts to Daryl, cause that was one she should of definitely kept in. He didn't know she was dying, it was a mistake to bring up. She just knew that in her situation, she would do anything to have that chance. But it's inevitable for her.

"Nothing," Ace mumbled, trying to brush it off. She rolled onto her side, facing away from Daryl who was still looking at her dark figure.

It was nothing and soon she might be nothing too.

\---

The next morning Ace was surprised to find that she awoke after Daryl, not finding him above her in his cot. After she pushed herself up and slid on her shoes, she unzipped the tent, half expecting to find him sitting by the fire pit like always.

While pulling on her jacket she looked around camp. There was no sign of him out here either, making Ace wonder how long she slept in. She had gotten used to waking up before him. It was still barely morning, which explained why he didn't wake her up and kick her out.

Ace tugged on her jacket, the morning chill starting to become heavier as the season progressed. She decided she'd start on her way to go take her pills that Dale now kept in his RV, maybe even attempt to eat some breakfast. Ace started walking peacefully alone over to the RV. She still had a lot on her mind about the kid, Randall, feeling bad for him. She didn't want them to kill him, she didn't want to be a part of a group that would kill outsiders. It's not how she wanted the world to be.

But maybe that's how it was now. Ace is just having a hard time accepting this. She refuses.

Ace was curious to how it was going to play out today, but almost just wished it to be over with already. She instead just started thinking about the run she was accompanying Daryl on either tomorrow or the next day.

Ace passed by the barn Randall was being held in. She didn't even want to look at it, but after she passed she froze. She turned back around, swearing that she saw the door open in the corner of her eye. She was hoping she was wrong, but the door was creaked open, the lock hanging loose. Immediately, she thought the worst, and went over to see what was going on.

Ace had thought Randal might have escaped, but as she got closer, she was surprised at what was actually going on. She could hear the sound of skin hitting skin before she saw it, the sound of bones crashing together ringing out through the cracks of the barn. She could hear Randall groaning as she stepped in the barn, seeing Daryl hunched over him, his hand roughly gripping Randal's bad knee.

Ace was unaware of how quiet she had made her footsteps, but she still had managed to come in quietly enough that Daryl didn't hear her, not noticing her at all.

"Ya ever pick off a scab?" He angrily growled to Randall, pulling his knife out of his sheath. Randal started to whimper as Daryl pressed it down onto his healing wound. "Start real slow at first... Sooner or later, you've just gotta rip it off," Daryl growled into the kids face. 

Ace was peering over, standing at the entrance, thinking about what she was seeing. She was a bit shocked.

"Okay! OKAY!" Randal cried out.

Daryl was hunched over him, predator and prey style. Neither of them noticed Ace.

"They have weapons... Heavy stuff, automatics," Randal was panting heavily. "B-But... But I didn't do anything!"

"Your boys shot at my boys, tried to take this farm!" Although Daryl's anger never seemed to get to Ace, she can tell why it scares the shit out of some people. "You just went along for the ride? You're trying to tell me ya innocent?!" Ace watched the vein in Daryl's neck pop out as he yelled. She could see through this anger.

"YES!" Randal cried out. "These- These people took me in. Not just guys, a whole group of them! Men and women, kids too -- just like you people!"

Daryl pushed back and stood up tall as he listened to Randal finally give in and tell about his group. Still, Ace was unnoticed.

"Thought I'd have a better chance with them, yanno?" Randal was practically begging for Daryl's empathy. "But... we go out, scavenge... Just the men. One night w-we found this little campsite.. Man and his two daughters.. Teenagers, you know? Real young. Real cute."

Ace tensed up a little bit, she could tell by Randal's tone where this was going. Daryl felt the same thing. He was pacing around, but he heard Randal, slowly freezing and turning to look at him.

"Their daddy had to watch as these guys... they..." Randal's eyes diverted from Daryl. "An-And they didn't even kill him afterwards! They just-- they just made him watch as his daughters... they just-just left them there."

Ace clenched her fists a bit. Sometimes this world really got to her. 

Daryl was fuming. He pictured Rick watching as Lori was raped, or, even... He pictured it bein' him and Ace. It was a reflex, him thinking that, it's not like him and Ace are similar to Rick n' Lori. Daryl only wasted a split second questioning why he thought that before his anger returned. And he lost it.

"No, but-but I didn't touch those girls! No, I swear I didn't to-"

Daryl, out of know where, stomped on Randal's leg, grunting out of blind anger at what he said.

"Please," Randal cried. He continued to beg and plead, trying to convince Daryl he wasn't like that. Daryl stepped away from Randal, just watching him, with his guard up. He couldn't stop thinking about if this group found the farm. The blood was rushing to his head. Daryl kicked him again. _Asshole._

It was now that Daryl caught Ace's shadow. In surprise, he looked right at her, panting heavily. They held eye contact with each other as Randal continued to scream and beg. They tried to read each other, as always, but were stuck. Ace's eyes made Daryl falter.

But seeing her only made Daryl see worse with Randal's group. With a grunt, he punched Randal as hard as he could. 

It's not like this was about Ace, Daryl was just looking out for the group. Daryl huffed, his chest rising and falling as he stomped towards Ace. Ace got the hint and backed out of the barn, Daryl following, slamming it shut and locking it behind him. Daryl grabbed his crossbow and threw it over his shoulder, only giving Ace a glance before he started to walk away.

Ace wasn't one to push, force some conversation, so she just followed behind. Daryl was walking fast over to the group making breakfast at camp, but he started to slow to allow Ace to catch up. Ace wasn't like the rest of the crazy group, always trying to talk to Daryl about everything. She actually gave him time to calm down and think, which is what he needed. She was never up his ass.

When they arrived to the camp, the whole group was standing around, all with stressful looks on their faces.

Daryl didn't hesitate to walk right up and get to the point. "Boy there's got a gang, 30 men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't lookin' to make friends."

The group now had their attention all diverted to Daryl, Lori standing up from the food she was scraping off a pan on the fire pit.

"They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna-- they're gonna wish they were," Daryl wasn't fuming anymore. He knew this information had to be told and that Shane, especially Shane, would use it. The group all looked at each other. Shane getting amped up cause "he was right."

Ace was standing a little behind Daryl, knowing this group was going to resort to the easy way out. Killing him. This group had no right to decide. She doesn't believe they can even decide on what to do with themselves, so how can they with someone else? But, as the group started to talk among themselves, it apparently was the only choice.

"He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat," Rick announced. "Its settled."

Ace didn't know what to think, let alone do. She had no power when it came to this group. And the people that do, its not like anyone knows to listen to them. Dale was the only one to speak up, the only one actually knowing anything. But he was ignored, left to chase after Rick.

Ace looked to Daryl who was washing off the blood on his fists. He squinted up at her, catching her eyes.

Ace turned away. She had too much on her mind. She could have just as easily been treated the way this kid was when she ran into the group. And she's dying of cancer. Her life is being taken away not by anyone's decision. She wished she had the decision her whole life, but that's not how this works. This kid had a chance to live the way Ace does not. But he was with a group of scumbags, a group he chose to stick around with and continuously go scavenge with, knowing what his group would do. He's not like Ace in that way. He is a threat.

As much of an expert on adapting as Ace is, she has always failed to adapt to this new world. She hates killing the dead, it still feels wrong. She doesn't want the world to come to killing the living as well.

Ace silently made her way from the group, pushing back towards the barn.

Daryl noticed Ace move away from the group. He sat up a bit, relaxing his hands, looking to where she was going. When he saw her heading to the barn, he grabbed his crossbow and took off after her. "Aye!" Daryl called after Ace, jogging to catch up with her. "T'hell ya doin'?"

Ace slowed as Daryl cut her off, getting in her path. She looked at him with that intense look she always has that makes people take another breath, and tried to keep walking.

Again, Daryl got in front of her. "Will ya just hol' up," Daryl held his hand out, grunting at her. "Damn stupid of you to go back in there."

Ace stopped just looking at him.

"Man, ya hangin' out with the old man too much. He's rubbin' off on ya," Daryl tried to calm down a bit. Dale was the only other one that seemed to be against this.

"Better than Shane," Ace mumbled.

Daryl squinted at her in confusion. "Huh?"

When Ace didn't respond, just sighing, Daryl urged her. "Come on, spit it out."

"Everybody's actin' like Shane."

Daryl had an instant argument, but Ace always had a way of makin' him slow up and think.

All this killing is Shane's idea that he has enforced. Ace can see that. Shane is going off, whether it be fighting with Rick, opening up a barn of walkers, killing Otis, or what not. He's starting to beat into people that there is no other way than to kill people. And the group doesn't know what to do or think so they go with it. That's what Carl is gonna grow up to know. How is that not a threat?

The group is so broken.

"Was a group decision," Daryl retorted back.

How is standing back and watchin someone be killed that much different than standing and watching someone be raped? Ace thought to herself, staying quiet. They aren't gonna be any better than Randal's group.

"They're rapists," Daryl grumbled. "Ya want that here?"

"We're murderers," Ace looked back at the group. "This group is a threat, too."

Daryl huffed. "Jus'... Just stop bein so damn reckless. What's goin in there gonna do ya?" He pointed to the barn.

Ace followed his finger, a pain sparking up her back as she did. She saw Dale talking with Rick close by, reminding her she had to take her pills.

She needed time to think. 

Too bad Rick and his guilty conscience were in a rush to kill Randal.


	40. Executioner

"Lets gather up," Rick announced to the group, hanging around the house.

Time ticked by slowly today for Ace, for she was antsy about the Randall situation.

After arguing with Daryl, she set out to go find Dale. Unsurprisingly, he was just as against killing Randall as she was, even more so. He mentioned that Rick was giving him the day to try to convince people to find another way. But now, at the end of the day, Dale was feeling very defeated.

Ace followed the rest of the group into the house, walking beside Dale and feeling Daryl's gaze on her. He had been staying near the barn all day, making sure Ace didn't try to run up in there again.

Everyone gathered in the living room, greeting Hershel and his family that were already sitting on the couch inside. Ace leaned against the doorway, not fully entering the room with everyone else. A few minutes passed and it was still quiet. Ace looked over to Dale, whose expression made her body ache. Both her and Dale knew that they were powerless in this group. Especially with Shane around.

Ace's mind was running all over the place today and she felt like she could no longer keep up with this group. She had always been the one to read them and expect all their disastrous plans, but lately, they have been crazier than ever. Her mind was also in other places. She doesn't know if it was the stress of today, or just her cancer, but her head was light and dizzy, and the sun seemed to be shining annoyingly bright, sparking a migraine.

Once again, she questions why she has been given opportunities to survive when people like her sister, Sophia, and now Randall have had them taken away so quickly. She was dying anyway, why couldn't she just give all her chances to them?

"So how do we do this?" Glenn broke the silence, snapping Ace out of her thoughts. "Just take a vote?"

Shane was the first to voice his opinion, obviously, loud and clear. Ace squinted at him as he spoke. "Well, where I sit, there's only one way to move forward," Shane arrogantly spoke.

Daryl glanced over to Ace, looking at how she stared right at Shane. Daryl could feel the anger slightly radiating off Ace. He knew how she felt.

Dale barely even gave Shane another breath before he was speaking. Ace looked down to the ground. Dale would say all the words Ace had in her head. As people started responding, all going against Dale, Ace's fists started to clench. She could hear the pain in Dale's voice, and the idiocy in the rest of the group.

"Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" Maggie asked after Dale questioned what the religious family felt about this.

It was when Daryl spoke, that Ace looked up.

"Jus' another mouth to feed," Daryl said in almost a mumble.

Ace's eyes immediately burned into the side of his head. Daryl knew she didn't want the kid to die, she told him last night, but Daryl wasn't gonna let some dumb kid get him killed. Daryl also knew he just pissed Ace off, so he didn't look at her. Ace was smarter than the whole rest of them, and for some reason, Daryl trusted her the most. So a small part of him felt unsure.

"Lets say we let him walk around, join us," Shane adds. "What happens if he runs off, brings back his 30 men, huh?"

Daryl now gave Ace a look, them having one of those conversations with their eyes. Daryl was trying to get her to hear Shane's point, but Ace scowled. They both squinted at each other.

As the discussion went on, Ace found her mind running a mile a minute again. Everyone was talking like it was decided and Randall was all dead to them. Ace understood the fear, she did, but when she joined this group, none of them really gave a shit. Hell, none of them even know anything about her. Barely any of them even try. This group just didn't know how to handle themselves under pressure, in fact, they didn't know how to be a group. The entire conversation just turned into a petty argument, everyone ignoring Dale, being rude, and just flat out clueless. Ace wanted to leave.

Her back was killing her. She shifted on her feet to try and move the pain around, but it wasn't giving. There was a crack in the curtains and the sun seemed to be gleaming right into her eyes. She blinked heavily, trying to will her headache away.

"Anybody that wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance," Rick announced.

Everyone fell silent, sitting back down in their seats and looking at the ground.

"If we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew, is _dead,_ " Dale was worked up. "And this new world is ugly, its- its survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't want to live in."

It was quiet again. Ace was struck with pain as Dale was on the verge of tears. Dale was important to her, the only one that has ever helped her... _ever._ He was one of the good ones, but he was stuck in this broken group, voiceless like Ace. Dale meet eyes with her, fidgeting with his hat anxiously. "Ace?"

Ace was caught off guard, everyone's eyes now looking over to her. Dale knew she was the only one that agreed. He was the only one that knew she had cancer, the only one that knew she understands what its like to have your chance of living being taken from you.

Ace was quiet for a moment, while everyone looked right at her. She didn't like all the attention, but Dale was looking right at her, making her mouth open before she even thought about it, which was rare. "No one tried to kill me," Ace mumbled. The group looked at her questionably. She struggled to find her words for a moment. "When I came to the group, none of you questioned me like this."

Everyone stayed quiet.

"You didn't try to kill us," Andrea pointed out.

Ace sucked in a breath, this is not what she wanted. She was always the one that stayed in the back and listened, analyzing. But she had to do this for Dale. "How do you know?" Ace asked. "I could've."

Andrea's brows furrowed and she glanced at Shane.

"None of you..." Ace cleared her throat. "Knew anything about me. And you don't have me locked up in a barn."

"You've proven yourself," Rick responded, thinking to how she is with his son and Lori.

"'Cause I got the chance," Ace stated. That pretty much proved her point and as much as she hoped it would get across to them, she knew in the back of her head it wouldn't really change anything.

"Lets just do whats right," Dale pleaded.

The room was silent again. Time passed and no one else agreed, no one else spoke.

Majority rules.

\---

Ace sat on top of the RV, slumped in the folding chair as she took watch. She needed some time to herself to think about all the shit that has been going on. And she needed to be away from the group, she could feel her cancer sucking the life out of her tonight and couldn't stand the idea of getting ill in front of the broken group she was a part of. She was angry with them. And she was angry with Daryl.

The sun was on its way down now, darkness starting to take over camp.

The rest of the group was sitting around the campsite in silence. It was time to kill Randall.

Ace watched as Rick, Shane, and Daryl walked over to the barn, looking at the angel wings on the back of Daryl's vest reflect off their lantern. She hadn't spoken to him since the group meeting. He went against her and it bothered Ace. He was just going to help them slaughter Randall, when Ace knew Daryl was smarter than that. She knew he cared more than that.

Ace glanced to her left, waiting for Dale to return. He stormed off after the meeting in the house, not wanting to be present for Randall dying. Ace only caught him for a second and he agreed that this group was broken. She was just waiting for him to come back and tell her to take her medicine. Maybe that would help him feel normal again.

Some time passed and Ace looked away from the barn, just listening to the wind rustle the leaves as she took deep breaths, feeling a spark of pain in her back each time. She saw some figures approach and looked down, seeing Rick and Carl walk up to camp. She had to listen hard to hear all the way over there.

"We're keeping him in custody, for now," Rick announced, glancing down at Carl. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Carl probably tried to sneak into the barn. Ever since Sophia, Carl has been acting strange. Ace noted that she should try to bring him another cookie tomorrow.

Ace felt relieved, though. She let out a breath and leaned back in her chair, watching as Andrea ran off to go get Dale. For a moment, Ace smiled to herself. 

But then Ace wondered if maybe she did somehow give Randall her chance of survival, because she sure was feeling like her cancer was hell tonight.

Soon most of the group was retreating into their tents, or at least just sitting around the campfire. Ace watched as Daryl approached, swinging the lantern at his side.

They made eye contact as he walked by the RV and he nodded at her, Ace sending one back. It looked like Daryl was opening his mouth to say something, Ace hoping it was an apology since she turned out to be the one who was right. But Daryl got cut off by a piercing scream coming from the distance.

A scream of agony.

Quickly, Ace shot up, hand going to the knife sheathed on her side. She looked around at the group but saw nothing, spinning her head. Her and Daryl made eye contact for a split second before Daryl grabbed his crossbow and took off in a run. 

Ace knocked over the folding chair as she scurried to the ladder of the RV, barely even making it a few steps before she jumped off. A huge spark of pain ran through her body, but she didn't care. She was alert.

Another yell came, but it sounded far in the distance.

"T-Dog, get a shotgun now!" Rick yelled.

Ace took off in a run after Rick, Shane, and the rest of the group. Ace didn't even allow herself to think about who it was, already knowing in the back of her head who was in that direction. She just had to run.

It felt like miles but at the same time it felt like only seconds.

An even louder scream of agony came and Ace could hear everyone else that got there before her screaming back for help. With her pain, Ace ran the slowest, getting there last. She couldn't see past everyone surrounding him, she could just hear people crying and screaming " _No!_ "

Ace was moving as fast as she could, until she ran straight into Daryl. He held his arm out, trying to hold her back. "Hey," was all he could say. He knew she cared about the old man.

Ace was panting, sweating, and her head was beating so hard she could barely see straight. She ignored Daryl, rushing around him and over to the others. Only to see what she had prayed wasn't the truth. There was Dale, lying on the ground next to a walker, his stomach ripped open.

Ace immediately dropped onto her knees, skidding across the grass as she came to him. "Move," Ace demanded at the others as she pushed through them. She didn't hesitate to rush over to Dale's wound, trying to see if she could help him. Her eyes widened as she looked at his stomach, his intestines leaking out. She didn't think twice as she yanked off her jacket, balling it up to press against Dale's stomach. "Its okay, Dale," Ace called to him, frantically pressing her hands to stop his bleeding. Blood soaked completely through the fabric of her jacket, coating Ace's hands.

"Get Hershel!" Ace snapped her head back at the rest of them. "He needs blood!"

Ace made contact with the members of the group, all who just stood there and looked at her with wide eyes. "HERSHEL!" Ace repeatedly yelled at them. Quickly, Maggie jerked up and ran off to get her dad.

Ace turned back to Dale, still applying pressure. "I'm gonna help you," Ace panted to Dale, whose eyes widened as he continued gasping in pain. "I'm gonna fix this. I'm here."

Daryl looked at Ace from behind, watching her. He didn't know what to do, no one did.

When no one was saying anything, just sobbing around her, Ace looked back to them. "We need to operate here! _Now_!"

"Ace-" Rick spoke up carefully from behind.

"Please," Ace shook her head, gulping. "We need blood, stitches." Ace quickly looked to Glenn, he was the fastest. "Glenn, back at the house-"

" _Ace!_ " It was Daryl that called her name, stopping her. They met with frantic eyes.

Ace stopped, frozen. The look on Daryl's face. She had to force her eyes open to stop herself from passing out.

T-Dog came over, gently trying to grab at her arm, pull her away.

"No," Ace ripped away from him, trying to get back to Dale. "He needs help! I can help him!" Ace pushed out, her voice cracking from the panicked volume.

"Ace," T-Dog pulled again. "There's nothing we can do," he yanked her away from Dale, getting Ace to stumble back into the grass. " _There's nothing we can do_."

Everything inside of Ace collapsed at his words, allowing T-Dog the slack to lead her away from Dale. It left Ace on her knees, slumped as she looked at him. _Dale._

Dale looked over to her, allowing Ace to really start to hear his screams of pain. His eyes were bugging out of his head. He was gurgling, blood spewing up out of his mouth. Ace held eye contact with him as Andrea sobbed into his shoulder.

Cries rang out louder around her as the group realized it was over.

_Not Dale._

"He's suffering," Andrea wept among the rest of the group. "Do something!"

Ace couldn't move. She couldn't look anywhere but at Dale as Rick crouched down next to him. She couldn't look at the revolver. Ace waited for the gun shot, the one noise that would cut through her like sharp glass. But Rick couldn't do it. It was Daryl that shuffled over, taking Rick's gun. It was Daryl that kneeled next to Ace, pointing the revolver at Dale's head. Ace only got one last glance before Daryl pulled the trigger.

"Sorry brother."

Ace jumped out of her skin.

She could feel the gun shot vibrate in her weak bones.

She could feel the hope she had left leave her.


	41. Pain Remains

Ace remained.

As everyone sobbed around her, bowing over Dale, Ace didn't move a muscle.

As people started to run off, Ace didn't move a muscle.

As Shane, Rick, and Daryl grabbed Dale's body, Ace didn't move a muscle.

T-Dog lingered behind, sparing one last glance as Ace before he too walked away, leaving her alone.

Ace's eyes stayed directly on the pool of blood that stained the grass. Her jacket laid in a wet ball in the puddle. She was frozen, as solid as a rock for the longest time. Until her eyes flickered up to the walker that had been put down, still remaining in its spot next to the blood.

Ace used her bloody hands to push herself up, limping to the undead corpse. She stood over it, head tilting as she looked into its hollowed out face. Its mouth was stained with blood, flesh still stuck in its teeth.

Something inside of Ace snapped, like scissors cut a thread, and she lifted her boot up to smash into its skull. A groan rolled its way out of her chest, cracking and coming out as a pained grunt.

She did it again. And again.

Each time a burst of fire ripped through her spine, but she didn't care about the pain. Ace kept digging her heel into its decaying skull, brains squishing out underneath. She was huffing frantically, nearly yelling as she crushed its head in over and over again. Ace fell onto her knees, sending a fist into what was left of the face. She pounded on it, using all her energy to beat it into a pulp. Her head was spinning, but she didn't stop. Not until her bruised knuckles were splashing in its blood, hitting through to the ground beneath her.

She didn't stop until her body couldn't take anymore, collapsing.

\---

Daryl had helped carry Dale's body over to the tree Sophia and Otis' graves were under. Rick and Shane grunted as they all lowered Dale onto the ground as gently as possible. T-Dog came from the house, bringing over a sheet to cover Dale with. All paused, looking down at him while Shane went to retrieve shovels. They would dig him a grave, they couldn't leave him out here. In the morning, they would have a service.

Daryl's gaze flickered over to where it had all went down, where they had left Ace. He couldn't see her, it was too dark and too far away.

As Shane started to hand out shovels to all the men, Daryl grabbed one, but hadn't yet pulled his attention back from across the farm. T-Dog took notice, coming over and reaching for the shovel in Daryl's hand. Daryl eyed him skeptically, but T-Dog just nodded his head. "I got this," was all he said, trying to tell Daryl to go check on her. T-Dog knew what he was thinking.

Daryl hesitated, but let T-Dog take the shovel from him. He spared one last look as they started to dig before turning and stalking off in the direction of Ace. Daryl kept his crossbow in his hands and head on a swivel as he walked, his nerves shot. He stopped to grab the lantern he dropped on his way.

When Daryl got close and could see the outline of Ace's figure, he slowed. He let his crossbow swing down to the side as he squinted through the darkness at her. Ace was sitting next to the walker, her knees bent as her arms draped over them. Her hands were filthy with blood, shaking lightly, and her head was bowed down towards her chest. When Daryl approached her, his eyes glanced at the walker, noticing it had been beat to a pulp.

Daryl didn't know what to do or what to say, just standing next to her when he got there.

Ace heard him come up, blinking her eyes open. She looked up at him, squinting as he held up his lantern to took at her. Her body was racked with cold sweats and her hair was matted to her face, her eyes almost completely bloodshot.

Daryl was taken aback at how she looked. Ace looked like one of the dead. "Wha-," he started, but didn't even know what to ask. She looked like she did that one day on the highway after they killed all those walkers and she got sick. He thought maybe she had been cryin' or somethin', or this was cause of Dale, but it didn't seem like that. She looked _dead._

Dale wasn't there to remind her to take her medicine tonight.

Ace squeezed her eyes shut at how bright the lantern was that Daryl was sticking in her face. He got the hint and lowered it, but still looked at her with fear and confusion.

"C'mon," Daryl tried, not sure what else to do. "Lets head back."

Ace nodded to herself, wanting to get as far away from here as possible. She slowly untangled her body, reaching down with trembling hands as she pushed herself up. She stumbled a bit, her head lulling in dizziness. Ace worked her way through it, standing up completely. She didn't look at Daryl as she walked past him, heading to his camp.

Daryl walked behind her slowly. Not intentionally, she was moving at the speed of the dead. He was tryin' to get a good look at her, she was limpin' the whole way over.

When they got there, she nearly collapsed onto the stone structure next to his tent. Daryl followed behind, standing over her again. "Whats wrong with ya?" Daryl asked so quietly under his breath it nearly was a whisper. He wasn't even expecting her to respond, he knows her. He was more so asking himself.

Ace let her head fall back against the stone. She didn't have the will to keep it up. She could feel her stomach in her throat and her bones pushing at her skin. "Dale," she mumbled, her breath raspy, sounding like she hadn't had a drink of water in days.

Daryl walked over to his bike, leaning his crossbow against it and pulling out the canteen he kept in the satchel. He handed it over as he came back. "Sorry 'bout the old man," Daryl said as he eyed her, shifting on his feet. "Know ya liked him."

Daryl didn't know the half of it. Now no one knows Ace has cancer. No one in this world knows she's dying. No one can help her. She didn't really want it anymore. Dale wanted her to tell someone, but she can't. She just can't. Especially not now. She's alone now.

Daryl squinted at her as she drank the water, half of it missing her mouth. "Don't tell me ya bit, too," Daryl said to her, fear building up in his chest.

Ace shook her head, handing him back the canteen.

"Ace, t'hell is wrong with ya?" His voice was becoming louder now, agitated. Daryl has known since the beginning that somethin' has been up with her. He used to get real mad about it but over time, he guesses he just kind of let it slip his mind. He would think about it time to time, knowing that he really doesn't know much about Ace, but he would let it go. Probably cause she seemed to be okay lately. He was caught up in other shit.

Ace didn't respond. She never responds.

Daryl kept looking at her. The air grew heavy between them, both still kind of in shock from what just happened with Dale. That is until Daryl watched her eyes start to roll back in her head. Ace began to pass out, nearly falling out of her seat.

"Shit," Daryl set the canteen down and jumped up, catching her from falling. She was barely awake. He sighed, letting out a big grunt as he helped her up, leading her to the tent. He didn't even bother putting her on her sleeping bag on the ground, he just put her on his cot with a grunt.

He's not going to be getting much sleep tonight anyway.

\-----

Ace watched as the road sped from under her, her head leaning against the back of the truck.

She sat beside Daryl in the truck bed as Shane and Andrea drove down the dirt farm road. They were checking the outer fences for breaks and walkers, for one had to get in last night to kill Dale.

No one spoke in the car, in fact, no one really spoke at all today. They held a service this morning, one which Ace lingered in the back for. Rick addressed how Dale said the group was broken and he wanted to fix it for him, but Ace didn't buy it.

Daryl tried to say something to Ace this morning, after witnessing her so ill last night, but Ace didn't really even hear it. He was awake by the fire when she left his tent. He had tried to get her attention, but she didn't allow it. He was nearly screaming at her as she walked off from him. But Daryl let her go. And when he eventually came over to join them, he just eyed her. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, especially not with her, in front of the group.

Ace was still in shock, not really able to process much right now besides the fact that she's dying. And Dale, her friend, was the only one that could have helped. Ace's hands were still red from blood, both from Dale and the walker she _mutilated_. She couldn't face that.

Daryl glanced at Ace occasionally, she still didn't look right.

As they pulled up to the fence, they all hopped out of the car. Ace pulled her knife out of the sheath on her waist band and followed the rest of them over to the fence. Andrea carried some extra barbed wire in case they had to patch things up and Shane walked along, pulling on the fence to make sure it was secure.

They all trailed along in silence, weaving in and out of the forested area. Everything looked good until Daryl picked up some walker tracks. As they kept on, Daryl noticed Ace wasn't keeping her steps as quiet as she normally does. Partly, her body was weak and she dragged along. The other part was she didn't really care.

Four walkers were spotted up ahead, eating what looked to be one of Hershel's cows. They found the break in the fence.

As everyone ran up to go take a walker, for they were all distracted and it was an easy kill, Ace caught the sound of a branch cracking in the woods next to them. While everyone was distracted, she changed direction and headed over there. She held onto her knife, and passed a few trees. As she rounded the tree to her right, a handful of walkers could be spotted.

A part of her was still so grossed out by walkers. More so, what she had done to that one last night. She was disgusted with herself for what she had done.

The idea of them used to make her sad for the person they once were, but after Dale, she was _angry_. Those people, whatever they were, ripped him into pieces. Ripped him right from her. She couldn't help him. Whats a better time than now to learn to kill them more easily?

Ace lifted her knife up, approaching the walkers. Two of them noticed her and spun towards, letting out a growl and a few sloppy steps in her direction. She went right up to one, swallowing her disgust and pain, and sent her blade right into its forehead. She wanted to gag a little, but instead, kept going.

They aren't people. They killed Sophia. They killed Dale.

The next one was on her right and Ace did the same, sending her knife straight into the eye. She wasn't being as stealthy or as careful as usual, just a blunt force.

Now the rest of them noticed her. Normally Ace would realize this was too much for her to take on, but this time, she wanted them all. She continued sending her blade into their heads, ignoring the immense pain that radiated in her body each time. Ignoring her dizziness.

One after one, she started to feel less grossed out. It started to feel normal. She started to feel less angry. Until she got distracted with how focused she was on killing them and didn't notice that three more had made it close to her side. Ace spun as the walker lunged for her, holding her hand out on its neck to keep its teeth away from her. She grunted, struggling to get her knife up. She was so weak.

By the fence, they just finished taking out all the walkers and Daryl let out a breath, looking up. His face scrunched when he didn't see Ace. He rotated, looking for her, but saw nothing. "Where t'hell is Ace?" He called out, getting Shane and Andrea's attention.

They all looked at each other, then around, and quickly started jogging around to find her. Daryl was stressed out, in a way he hasn't really felt before. He didn't understand the fear he felt when it came to Ace, it was new to him. "Ace?!" He yelled for her.

Ace managed to get her blade up, weaving her arm around the walker's and stabbing it through the side of the head. The weight of the walker collapsed on her, causing her to slide down the tree. She felt the bark scrape her back. Quickly, she went flat on the ground, and rolled out of the way of the walkers so she could push herself back up. She sent her fist flying into the next ones chest, getting it to falter backwards, allowing her time to bring up her knife and send it into its skull.

Now, her energy was completely gone. She felt the wind get knocked out of her and her head spun on her shoulders. It was pounding so hard it was affecting her eye sight.

"Ace!" Daryl finally saw her in the woods, stumbling as a walker came after her. He saw about six other dead ones surrounding her. Andrea and Shane ran after.

Ace, with every ounce of will power she had left, made one last jump, sending her blade into the last walker's eye, listening to the sickening _squish_ and _crack_ it made. Drained and vision blurry, she let her self fall back, slumping against the side of the tree.

Daryl ran up, followed by Shane and Andrea. "The hell!" He yelled, sliding to Ace's side.

They all looked at her - pale faced, sweating, and eyes closed, sitting against the tree.

Shane and Andrea shared a look.

"What were ya doin!" Daryl yelled. He didn't know how to react to how scared he was feeling so it all came out as anger. He bent onto his knees next to her, shaking her shoulder. "Ya bit?" He asked, quickly looking around her for any signs of injury. He only saw dark walker blood on her. He met Ace's eyes. "The hell are ya thinkin' bein' reckless like that!" He shouted. "Ya could've _died_!"

"Lets get her up," Andrea said calmly as she walked over. She went to the other side of Ace. Both her and Daryl grabbed a hand and helped Ace stand. Daryl then became aware that Shane and Andrea had witnessed his reaction to Ace, making him inwardly curl.

Once up, Ace took her hands back and wiped the sweat on her forehead. She didn't need help, she was fine.

"You should've called us over to help," Shane added, shifting his weight on his feet.

Ace, feeling sicker than ever, put on a strong face. "I had it."

They all looked at her, Daryl wanting to yell some sense into this girl. He had no clue what was going on. She was being reckless as hell and couldn't even hold herself up. But Daryl didn't want to do anymore in front of the others.

"Lets head back," Andrea offered.

Ace grabbed her blade that she left on the ground and followed them back to the truck. Daryl trailed behind her, watching her back as she walked.

As they drove back, Ace could hear Shane and Andrea talking about her quietly to themselves. Something about how she was right yesterday when she mentioned that they know nothing about her.

Daryl was chewing on his finger nails, pissed off in the truck bed again next to Ace.

They said nothing as they drove back to the farm.

-

When they pulled up and hopped out of the truck, Ace didn't spare another look as she headed over to the RV. But Daryl wasn't going to let that happen. He quickly jumped out of the truck and marched over to her, putting a hand on her arm to stop her and getting in front of her to cut her off.

"What is wrong with you." He demanded more than he asked. Ace look into his piercing eyes.

Daryl wasn't letting this shit go on anymore. She is going to get herself killed.

"Noth-"

"Nah," Daryl cut her off. "There's somethin'. There's been all this time."

Ace didn't know what to say. She searched his face, hoping that he would give up and let her off like all the other times before. But he wasn't going to budge.

"Ya sick all the time," Daryl continued, in a low growl. "And now ya bein' all reckless, like ya trying to get yaself killed!"

"I'm fine," Ace said, not budging either.

Daryl groaned, leaning back in annoyance. "Fine," he spat. "You don't want to tell me the truth, fine," he jabbed a finger into her face. "Then ya on your own." He was angry. What he said went against everything in his core. He didn't wan't to, but he had to. He didn't know how to deal with the shit he was feeling, hell, he didn't even know what it was. And it was making him damn angry not being able to get anything out of this girl.

Ace was slightly shocked, looking at his expression, taking in his anger.

"Get your shit out of my tent," Daryl growled, turning and storming away immediately after.

Ace was shocked, stunned into her place. She was hurt, she didn't know why, but it made her ache. Daryl is kicking her out. She couldn't get her legs to move, she just stared at the ground. She was on her own. Frankie was gone. Sophia was gone. Dale was gone. And now Daryl, too.

She was going to die, all alone. Ace had once been fine with that, but then she met these god damn people.

Ace felt sick in more ways than one. She turned and watched as Daryl stormed away across the farm, not looking back. She was on her own. Ace felt her stomach churn.

She definitely felt sick. Like sick, sick. 

Oh shit.

Ace jolted from her position and quickly sped off into the nearby forest behind the campsite. Luckily, no one was around to watch her leave. Or at least she hopes, she was so out of it she couldn't really tell. Reaching the tree-line, Ace held her hand out and pushed herself off a couple of trees in order to get out of sight. She doesn't know how far she got before she was hurdled onto her knees, retching into the dirt. 

The taste of vile and pain that followed made sweat drip across her forehead. Ace held her stomach, almost whimpering as she continued to get sick. It felt so horrible, she felt so horrible. Even worse now that she was alone. 

Was this rock bottom? Or is it still to come? Maybe in her final moments it will come, when she is alone and left for the walkers because the only person she told is now dead. 


	42. Knives of Truth

After fuming at his campsite for a while, Daryl finally went inside his tent to grab Ace's sleeping bag and pillows. 

If she wasn't gonna tell him shit, he won't have her around. Simple as that. It was too dangerous.

At least that's what he keeps telling himself.

With the sleeping bag in his hands, he started pacing around his tent. What in the fuck was going on? Groaning, he threw the sleeping bag back onto the ground and stormed out of the tent. Angry, confused, and angry because he's so confused, Daryl stormed out of his tent and headed back to the main campsite. He had no clue what he was fucking doing, he just had to do something.

When he got there, the whole group was sitting around the campfire.

Daryl walked up, searching all the faces, none being Ace. She wasn't out there with them, but that was no surprise. He went over to the RV, expecting to see her inside, but instead was greeted with an empty interior. He started to grow confused. Daryl walked back over to the rest of the group. "Y'all seen her?" He snapped at them.

Everybody stopped their conversations and looked at each other, coming to a mutual consensus. "No, not for a while," Andrea said.

"She in the house?" Daryl demanded, looking at Maggie.

"I was just in there, didn't see her," Maggie said with a confused look on her face at how angry he was towards her.

Hearing that, something clicked in Daryl's head and he grew panicked. Quickly, he ran back over to the RV, rushing inside and throwing all the shit around. He knew Ace kept her bag in here, and he was hoping it wasn't gone. What if she left? 

Daryl's anger was about to reach its tipping point when he bent down to look under the RV table. To his relief, Ace's bag and gun was sitting there. She didn't leave. He probably shouldn't be so relieved. Like he said, she's on her own now. 

Daryl couldn't figure her out, just like he can't figure out what is going on in his head. Daryl huffed and grabbed her bag, double checking it was hers and tossing it onto the table. The bag slid and tipped over and Daryl watched as some bottles fell out. Daryl paused, glancing at it in confusion, then back through the window at the rest of the group.

"Whats going on?" Andrea asked, meeting Daryl's eyes through the window.

"Nothin'," Daryl snapped, shaking his head. Thankfully, Andrea didn't push and just turned her attention back to the rest of the group.

Looking back at the bag, Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek. One of the bottles was rolling, about to fall off the table. Daryl reached over and grabbed it, noticing it was a pill bottle full of medicine when he did. He turned it around, inspecting it. He scrunched his eyes at the label, having no damn clue what the name of the medicine was. What the hell? Daryl remembered that one morning on the highway when he caught Ace taking medicine.

Daryl grabbed the other pill bottles that had fallen out, which only caused even more to follow from the bag. "T'hell..." He mumbled to himself. What she got so many for?

He started to look at the labels, none of them sounding any familiar to him. But a few of them had the name Irma Horvath on them. That was Dales name?

Daryl, face still scrunched in confusion, looked back down at the bag. There was a bunch of papers sticking out, all crammed into some folder. With his free hand, he grabbed onto one of the sheets of paper. It was a list of a bunch of more complicated ass medicine names. There was a sticky note hanging off of it with some scribbled writing. _Chemotherapy regimen plan._

"Chemo?" Daryl questioned aloud to himself. T'hell she need with chemo?

\--

Ace sat against the base of a tree, cradling her head in her hands. She doesn't know how long its been, but she can tell the sun is starting to set through the trees. She was too weak to get up, and after everything, she doesn't want to go back. Now, here she was, in the middle of the woods, sick, and vulnerable to any living or dead thing.

What the hell was she doing?

She just couldn't think. She hasn't been able to think.

She's on her own, that's what Daryl said. That's how it should be. Now that Dale is dead, she is no ones problem. She should just die out here alone to spare anyone else more trouble. Ace has been alone her whole life so she can be alone now. It's like home to her. But then why doesn't it feel like that right now? Why can't she adapt?

Maybe she isn't supposed to be alone? Maybe that's why she's so sick right now? Because without Dale, she can't do this? She can't do it on her own.

But the group is just a disaster, she has nothing for her there. Not even Daryl.

Right?

Ace groaned, leaning her head against the tree now.

She's going to die out here, that's obvious. She can't protect herself right now. And that is so foreign to her. She has always been able to take care of herself and adapt, but now.. Now what the hell is she?

Ace swallowed, trying to stomach the idea of her dying out here alone. For some reason, she couldn't.

She used to think that the only thing keeping her going was the search for Sophia. But then there was Dale. Now they are both gone but there is still a part of her that wants to keep going. Maybe there was something else this whole time? It was Daryl. It was always Daryl.

Ace's stomach clenched in pain, causing Ace to grimace and lean forward. She could feel her heart beat in her spine. She can't go on like this. This is her rock bottom.

It seemed like she has two options. Option one, die out here, alone. Or option two, die on the farm.

Ace closed her eyes, her world spinning beneath them. She let herself drift from reality, thinking back to the world before the apocalypse. She thought about her sister, Frankie. Frankie was Ace's fight, her reason to be alive. But now, Ace is reasonable enough to realize there is no way someone her age survived. No way Ace could even find out of she did. Now, Ace had no reason to be alive. 

A twig snapping in the distance got Ace to pop her eyes open. Before Ace could even consider what it was, she pushed her dead body up from the ground, grabbing her knife. She huffed, sucking back the pain, and waited for the walker to come out.

But to her surprise, it was just a squirrel. 

Ace huffed out a breath, letting her arm drop back down to her side. It was just a squirrel. A squirrel got her to get up off the ground she thought she would die on. 

Watching the squirrel scurry around, Ace straightened her back, scrunching her face in pain as she did. Maybe she did still have something to fight for? I mean, she could've just stayed sitting and let what she thought was a walker, come end it now. But she didn't.

What the hell was she doing? She was made to survive. She was built to adapt. 

Ace always said that she wished she was given the chance to survive, but she's just been ignoring it. Dale was her chance. Dale made her better. And now he's gone, and she misses him, but there is 10 other people sitting around a fire right now and some in a house. A fucking _house_. One that belongs to a vet. 

Daryl said she was on her own. But Ace has always been on her own.. until she wasn't. Until she took down two dozen walkers back to back with Daryl. She would have died if she was on her own. Until she met Dale. She would have, and now is, dying without him.

Ace glanced back to the tree-line. 

Ace is good on her own, but she is better when she is with someone. Frankie, Sophia, Dale, Daryl.. they all have proved it. 

This group. This group is her chance. And she had been putting it off for way too long.

\--

Ace didn't give herself a chance to think as she pushed her way out of the woods. If she thought about it, she'd over think it. Like always. She didn't think as her head spun in circles while she walked uphill past the campfire the group was sitting at. "Hey-" 

Ace heard someone try to get her attention, but she just kept moving. She could see Daryl in the window of the RV.

Daryl, with his back to the door, had his attention caught by the sound of someone hurrying up the stairs. He turned, surprised to see Ace.

Ace saw him, with the paper from her bag in his hands. It was now or never. He knew.

"Ya-" Daryl started. 

"Cancer," Ace blurted out. "I've got cancer."


	43. Actions and Words

Daryl and Ace stood across from each other in the RV. The sun almost had fully set and the sound of the fire crackling outside was the only thing to be heard. They held eye contact for a while, Ace's chest rising and falling heavily. Neither of them knew what to say next, they were stuck. She waited for Daryl, watching the wheels turn in his head.

Daryl was flipping through every memory in his head of Ace so far. Every time she got sick, every time she was actin' weird. It all made sense but at the same time nothing made sense. 

Daryl searched Ace's face, trying to see any glimpse of a chance she was lying. But for the first time, he didn't suspect anything. Every time they talked, he felt as if there was something else she wasn't saying. Now, the look on her face was different. She wasn't lyin'. 

And Daryl didn't know what emotion he should feel. Except for the obvious one - anger. 

Daryl squinted at her, his arm that held the piece of paper swinging at his side. Daryl was trying to understand. And the fact that he couldn't fully wrap his head on this was only getting him worked up. This whole time. He knew something was up, but she seemed fine most of the time. He was damn stupid for thinking that. He doesn't know what he would, or could have done, but this.. not this. It didn't make sense.

Ace was the only one Daryl could stand in this group. She was the only one that-

Daryl didn't even let himself finish his thought before he threw all the stuff in his hands on back on the table and grabbed Ace by the arm, pulling her out of the RV. His anger was driving him. He was angry she didn't tell him and was acting so damn stupid, but more so was angry at what he was hearing. She was sick, she was dying. He wouldn't let that be the case. 

"We gotta go to Hershel," Daryl said as he led her across the yard to the house. Ace wanted to object, but was too weak to even pull her arm away. She let it happen.

As Daryl sped walked with her to the house, he thought about the time she got sick after fighting the walkers. Even with cancer there was no other person he'd rather be stuck out there with. No other person would'a saved his life in the quarry or searched day and night for Sophia. Not a person on this damn world left that he would let touch his shit, let alone sleep in his tent. He's not sure why about this, but he knows its true. Don't make sense, but its how it is. And as he burst into the farm house, this was how its gonna be. Hershel was gonna fix her. Hershel was gonna make this make sense. 

The farmer's daughter, Beth, was sitting in the kitchen when they walked in and the door swung shut behind them, a little shocked at their entrance. 

"Where's Hershel?" Daryl demanded more than asked. Before Beth could respond, Hershel rounded the corner from the dining room, wiping his hands on a towel as he did. 

"What's going on?" Hershel asked as he walked over, not particularly pleased with the entrance.

"Cancer," Daryl rushed out, his chest falling as he huffed from the fast trip over. "She's got cancer."

Hershel was taken aback, looking from Daryl over to Ace.

"Ya gonna help her."

This was just about the most horrifying thing ever. Her secret was out.

Daryl's hand was still holding Ace's arm. She didn't want to admit it, but it was the only thing that was keeping her upright. She hadn't ate, hadn't taken medicine, and hadn't slept since... since Dale. And after all those walkers she killed and after getting so sick just moments ago, she had nothing left in her to face this.

She could feel how little energy she had left. Her head spun as she watched as a stunned Hershel came over. Daryl let go of Ace's arm as Hershel did, stepping to the side away from them. Unfortunately, Daryl's hand was keeping her steady without all this, and when it left, Ace's body lulled in dizziness. She did her best to keep her head upright and look at Hershel, but she couldn't help her eyes trying to roll back.

Hershel noticed, carefully holding a hand out in her direction. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked her. Ace gulped, too scared to nod her head because it might make her pass out. She wanted to lay down, thats all she knew. "Daryl, grab her some water and something to eat," Hershel didn't look back at him. "From the kitchen."

Daryl hesitated with a scowl on his face before stomping off to the kitchen, an arm swinging at his side.

Hershel placed a hand on Ace's upper back, leading her away. He slowly pushed her towards a bedroom. The same one Daryl was in after Andrea shot him in the head on accident. "Sit," Hershel pointed as they got to the bed. Ace did exactly that, letting her body relax as she ungracefully fell onto the mattress. It eased some of the pain in her back, but she still felt like _shit_. "You must be dehydrated. Have you eaten anything today?"

Ace, still stunned to silence, shook her head no. The past two days, she couldn't think of anything she had consumed.

Daryl came back into the room, setting water and a can of food onto the bedside table. He didn't say anything or do anything as he walked back out to the hallway. He started pacing back and forth.

"Drink," Hershel said, handing Ace the glass of water. Ace had to rip her eyes away from Daryl to do so. As she did, Hershel rubbed a hand on his face, considering.

"So, your cancer," Hershel started. Ace cringed hearing those words. She broke eye contact with Hershel, looking down. Get her out of here. Maybe this was a mistake? No. No, it can't be. "What can you tell me about it?"

It must have been late now, for everything was dark except for the one lamp and couple of candles that softly lit up the room orange. Daryl slowed his pacing in the hallway to listen more closely. He wanted some damn answers.

"Uh," Ace mumbled. She didn't know where to start. "Its on my spine," Ace gulped, talking very quietly. There is no backing out now. Any more secrets is only going to make this worse for her. "I had it a couple years ago but I thought the treatment got rid of it for good."

Daryl had no idea and his mind was running a mile a minute as he finally learned something about Ace. He didn't know what to feel.

"At the CDC," Ace continued, glancing up at Daryl, for he was there for this. Daryl scrunched his face, wondering what could have happened at the CDC. "The doctor, Jenner... He did some test and told me it came back. H-He gave me a list of medicine and stuff - it's in my bag."

Hershel nodded and stepped away from Ace, satisfied with her answer. "My first wife died of cancer," he told her and Daryl. "Now, I'm not a professional when it comes to it, and I cannot make any promises..." Hershel sighed. "But if I can review the treatment plan, I can see if maybe it's worth a try." 

Ace didn't know if this was supposed to make her feel better or worse.

"But for now, you look like you need to rest," Hershel looked down at her knowingly. "I'll come back in the morning and we can get this squared out."

Ace nodded, struggling to keep her head up. "Thank you."

He walked over to the other side of the room and blew out one of the candles. Hershel nodded and opened the door wider, stepping out of the room.

Ace let a breath run over her dry, cracked lips. She felt like she wanted to sink through the bed and into the floorboards as she watched Hershel leave. Once his figure had gone, Ace was left to see Daryl. He stood in the hallway. He had stopped his pacing, now just staring back at her.

Ace let her head fall, looking down at her lap. She could feel Daryl's anger. She didn't know what to say just yet, she had to think first.

Daryl felt the weight of this on his shoulders. He never could figure out this girl, and now that he has, he wished he didn't hear any of it. And what Daryl knows of this cancer shit, he knows its long and risky. What the hell even is chemo? How are they supposed 'ta do it in some farmers house? Daryl was angry about so much and was angry that this was happening. He was upset and confused and felt completely out of control.

"T'hell you didn't tell anyone for?!" Daryl immediately snapped, stepping out of the shadows towards Ace. The anger was racking his body, his eyes sharp as they were directed.

"Dale," Ace mumbled without looking up. She had told Dale. Daryl now understood why some of her medicine had his last name on it. And he now understood her recklessness the past day.

Daryl continued to look at her, stepping back. "An' what? You two idiots were gonna keep it'a secret forever?!" He was angry and extremely confused which just made him more angry. His chest rose as he fumed, trying to understand what was going on. 

"No," Ace glanced up to him now. "I was waitin' until things calmed down. But then Sophia.. Randall.. Dale," Ace tried.

"Bunch'a fuckin' excuses!" Daryl cut her off, swinging a hand in her face.

"You heard him," Ace now looked up, signaling her head to where Hershel was. "I'm dyin'," she said quietly. "What would telling anyone do?"

Those words hit Daryl. The shit he was feeling, he hated it. And there was a lot. He couldn't understand this. She was dying? Why did he even care? He sure as shit wished he didn't. "Thats _bullshit,_ " Daryl snapped at her. "Ya hang around me all the damn time. Sleep in my fuckin' _tent._ But had no time to say shit?!" Daryl shook his head in disbelief, stepping back and huffing. "Damn stupid."

Daryl was angry. Angry she forced her way into his life knowing that she wasn't gonna be there long. Fuckin' bitch.

Ace watched him as his back was now facing her. He still had his crossbow strapped on his back, making his vest hike up at the bottom. One of the wings on it was starting to peel where the crossbow would constantly rub. He was pacing, like he was letting out all his thoughts. Ace let him have his time, knowing he was right. After a long moment, Daryl slowed down.

"Gotta tell the rest of 'em," Daryl grumbled, pointing out the window to where the rest of the group was. 

"No-" Ace started.

"No?" Daryl turned back to look at her, his voice starting to rise again. "T'hell you mean, no?"

Ace stayed quiet, just looking at him

"Ya heard the doctor!" Daryl stepped towards her, angrily pointing. "Ya gonna get chemo... surgery! Ya gonna need all the supplies ya can get."

The idea of the rest of the group knowing... coming in here, being crazy, scared the shit out of Ace. She hadn't really thought realistically about this. She hadn't thought at all about what would happen after she told Daryl so suddenly. This is why she wanted to have a plan for this.

"Who you think is gonna get all those supplies?!" Daryl kept snapping at her. 

"Me," Ace said sternly. 

Daryl let out a fake, breathy laugh of frustration. Ace scrunched her face, squinting at him. She was not one to ask for help, especially from the rest of the group. This was her problem, her trouble. She is sure not going to make anyone risk their lives for it. Especially some one that was going to give her shit for almost dying because of her. She wouldn't have it. She'd rather them let her die. "Not gonna let anyone risk their lives for my problem," Ace said, very soft spoken but very sturdy.

Again, Daryl scoffed. "Ya can barely stand for ten minutes without passing out, let alone go on a run out there!"

"I'm not-" Ace started, but she was too quiet and Daryl cut her off. 

"You're already dyin'. Goin' out there is just gonna end it sooner," he spat. He hadn't even realized the harshness of his words before he already said them.

Ace looked up and into his eyes, slightly struck by what he said and the cruelness in his voice. "Why do you care?" Ace grew defensive at his words, his reaction exhausting her. It was a stupid question Ace shouldn't have asked. But his reaction had made her desperate to know. Desperate for more from him.

They sat there looking at each other for a long moment, the air heavy between them. Daryl was huffing, all of his anger getting stuck in his throat. Ace tried so hard to read him, to understand what he was thinking. But she couldn't, he covered it all with rage.

After a bit, Daryl straightened his back, getting Ace to blink and take a glance away from him.

" _I don't_."

With that, Daryl turned and walked out of the room, letting the door swing closed behind him. He rushed out of the house and down the steps with so much in his head that he wanted to explode.

Ace, with so much going on in her own head that it felt empty, looked at the closed door that he shut. Daryl's words rushed through her. _He didn't care_. She would say that in this moment, she felt worse than she did when she was on the ground sick in the woods. As the door shut behind Daryl, making a slight breeze, she felt all the loneliness rush back at once. But now, she had no idea what was going to happen. And that scared the shit out of her. 

She was in a foreign house, in a foreign bed, and had no idea what was going to happen to her. She always knew she was going to die, but now it felt real. Hershel was a vet, not a doctor and especially not a specialized cancer doctor. Chemotherapy was so specific and so complicated that it changed for each person. And surgery? How could Ace recover from that? They aren't even perfectly safe from walkers here. Dale was proof.

Cancer treatment was Ace's biggest fear. She had went through it once and it was the darkest part of her life. She couldn't do it again, and not with the dead walking around. 

Just like before, she was doing it alone again too. Her worst nightmare was unfolding in front of her. She sat alone in a bed in a strange house with her secret finally out. The group would probably know by the morning and everything would change. 

Everything has already changed.


	44. Say The Right Thing

The next morning, Ace jumped awake to a knock on the door. Immediately, she sat up in the bed and reached to her hip for her knife. When she didn't feel it, panic set in and she started searching around. Luckily, she didn't have to look too far, as her knife was sitting on the bed side table. 

As Ace saw the table, she remembered her status and where she was. This was the first night in many nights she hadn't woken up in Daryl's tent. She grew so used to seeing him each morning that now, a pain shot through her heart.

Usually, waking up in a large bed safely in a house would be a relief. But right now to Ace, it was a nightmare. 

As she took too long to respond to the knock on the door, Hershel allowed himself to come in, closing the door behind him. 

"Good morning," Hershel spoke calmly. "Or should I say good afternoon? You needed your sleep."

Ace had no idea what time it was. She could barely even remember the end of last night or how she fell asleep. She must have just passed out, not having really slept for a day or so. The past 48 hours have felt like a dream. Immediately, Ace's mind flipped to the thought of Dale. Her heart ached more than her body as she thought of him. He probably died thinking that Ace was going to die. He probably never would have believed she is here now. She wishes he was.

"I wanted to talk to you about this file from the CDC," Hershel announced as he walked over to the curtains and opened them, allowing sunlight to fill most of the room. Ace looked out the window. The campsite was too far to the side for her to really make out and Daryl's site was half a mile away from that one, so she could never see it. She thought about Daryl, and the things he said last night. Ace had no idea where he was and she was pained that she couldn't go walk over and find him. She hated the idea of missing out on a hunt.

As Hershel walked over to the bed, Ace saw that he was carrying the file in his hands. She had no clue how he got that, her bag was left in the RV. No one knew it even existed besides Daryl. Ace felt some sort of hope that Daryl was the one to give it to Hershel. Maybe Daryl didn't fucking _hate_ her.

"I have some books from back when my first wife fell ill," Hershel said as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to the side of the bed. Ace recalled that he mentioned his wife had cancer. She most likely died from it. Very uplifting. "I went through and compared it to your previous medicines and the ones on this list."

Ace looked at the file in his hands. He pulled out only one sheet of paper. Ace wondered if he went through it all. There was that one note that Jenner left her that she never seemed to make sense of. Something about test subjects being positive. But why would Hershel know anything about that?

"Looks like the medicine you had been taking have you on the right track," Hershel looked over the list. "Now, any information you can provide about your previous treatment would be extremely helpful," Hershel put the file down and looked at Ace. The file he had contained most of the information on Ace's cancer. The name, the place, the medicine, and a vague treatment plan. Jenner, as crazy as he was, did help Ace a lot. Now, Ace just has to remember as much as she can to help narrow down the plan for treatment. 

"Uhm," Ace had to think, her voice raspy as she had not spoken yet. She had to rack her brain, thinking back to the horrible, horrible memories she had so deeply blocked out. She quivered as she started to remember, wanting to throw up just thinking about it. "Uh.. Chemo," Ace started. "Everyday for a week and a two week break."

Ace remembered how god awful that was. She could barely afford it and could barely get herself to go, so the cycle was never constant. But she remembered the needles, the florescent lights, the sickness, the hair loss, the pain...

Ace snapped herself out of it. 

"And then surgery to remove it a couple weeks after," Ace mumbled, glancing up to Hershel.

Hershel nodded. "The medicines you have been taking should have helped shrink your tumor... Unfortunately, our best bet is to surgically remove it. But without chemo it would be a risk as I am unsure of the size of the tumor right now."

Ace gulped.

"I know of a hospital nearby," Hershel switched his tone. "It is the one I took my first wife to... It should have all the supplies we need for a round of chemotherapy."

Ace nodded, instantly feeling stupid for not talking to Hershel sooner. "I can go."

"No," Hershel shook his head, holding his hand out. "You need to stay in bed, you should not be going out in your state. Some of the others will have to go."

No, no way. Ace hated this. She wanted to go get her own medicine, she didn't want anyone else involved. She didn't want anyone else risking their lives. Hell, this is why she didn't want them to know. Hershel could tell Ace was getting upset as she was starting to sit up, trying to push herself up out of bed. He held his hands out, placing one on her should to signal her to stay down. 

"The last thing you should be doing is going out anywhere," Hershel almost scolded. "You are extremely ill and for now, you are on bed rest. This is serious." Hershel stood and moved his chair back to where he got it. Ace was about to object, but he stopped her. "I'll have Patricia come in and set you up with an IV and some food," with that, Hershel started towards the door. "I'll come back to check on you later."

Once again, Ace watched the door shut, leaving her by herself in deafening silence. 

She sighed and leaned her head back against the bed frame. She wasn't going to let anyone go on a run for her. But how? How will she get out of here? Even sitting in bed she feels completely sick to the bone so a part of her knows that she might not have the strength to go out. But, at the same time, she managed so far up to now. She had been going out feeling sick all the time! 

Ace wondered if the group new about her cancer yet. She is sure Daryl probably told them. Ace's mind immediately wandered to where Daryl was.

Ugh.

Who would even go on the run for her? Could they even pull it off? It probably take them a week to plan like it did for Sophia. And its not like anyone is going to want to do that, especially so soon after losing Dale. And Randal?

Thinking of Dale, Ace slid her body down and rolled to lay on her side. Her back screamed in agony, but she ignored it. If Dale were here, he probably would be keeping her company...

Ace closed her eyes in pain.

She's just got to figure out how to get out of here. 

\--

Adapt.

Ace closed her eyes, telling herself she had to get through this. She just had to count and regain her footing in this world. 

Patricia's cold hands were feeling around the inside of an arm to find a vein.

3...2...1...

"Here we go," Patricia bent down, holding the needle between her fingers.

Ace panicked, feeling fear shoot into every bone of her body. She tried to jerk her arm away, but somehow Patricia expected this and just held on tight to it. Ace bit her lip to stop a whimper from coming out, trying with all her might not to thrash. She kept repeating in her head that this was fine. This is nothing. Just an IV, she can do this.

A knock on the door drew Ace's attention and right as she was distracted, Patricia slid the needle into her vein. 

_Shit_. Ace immediately grew woozy, her chest heavy as she panted. She hated needles. She hated this. The last time a needle was in her was the last time she got treated for cancer. She never wanted to do it again.

"Alright," Patricia announced, standing up and grabbing all the supplies next to the plate of eggs on the bed side table. Ace leaned her head against the bed frame, willing her head to relax. She was fine. 

"Ace."

Hearing her name, Ace looked over to the door, seeing Shane standing there with one hand on his belt. Ace scrunched her face in surprise. Patricia sent them both a smile and stepped out of the room, leaving Ace alone with Shane. Ace looked at him, seeing the dark red bruise covering almost half of his face. Ace squinted towards him, curious what he had to say to her. She wasn't sure if he had a civil bone left in his body. 

But, he must know about her cancer. Daryl must have told the group. 

Ace sucked in a shaky breath, having to now face the music.

"So cancer, huh?" Shane said, almost nonchalantly as he came over and sat in the chair next to the bed she was in. Patricia had brought it in. Ace just looked right at him, not saying anything. She didn't have anything to say to him. Not after Dale. "Hershel told us the news," Shane kept on. "Seems like were gonna have to go on a supply run."

Wait, Hershel told them. Not Daryl? Ace was sure Daryl had gone straight to them last night and angrily broke the news. Now, Ace was questioning where Daryl was. She doesn't know why she expected him to come back, not like he had any reason to. But, she wondered what he was up to. Was he safe? Was he ever going to come back?

"Not sure why you didn't tell us in the beginning," Shane said to her.

Ace had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Of course he doesn't know why. He doesn't realize how broken he has become. He can't see himself from the outside like Ace can. 

"I want to come," Ace ignored what he said. "To get the supplies."

Shane leaned back in his chair, spreading his legs out and crossing his arms. "Ah, you know Hershel is never gonna let that happen. Rick either."

Every time he said Rick's name, Ace could hear the anger and resentment behind it. But at least Shane didn't tell her no. He was the first one not to try and stop her himself. Maybe Shane would actually understand where she was coming from. Ace had to swallow her quiet tendencies with this man. She wasn't one to talk, but if she had any chance to convince Shane, she had to take it. 

"M'not gonna let anyone risk their lives for me," Ace sat up a bit. "And I'm gonna know better than anyone where to go to find the stuff."

Shane stayed silent, looking at her, almost like he was hearing what she was saying..

"I feel better, with the IV," Ace pushed out, her voice low and quiet like usual. She signaled toward the IV drip. "I can eat, get some strength back... I'll be fine for one trip. Just like before."

Ace had been going out on runs sick all the time before anyway. I think Shane recognized this, for he saw her take down a dozen walkers by herself the other day before she got ill. The group is pretty occupied with their bullshit anyway. They probably wouldn't even notice if she was gone, just like always.

Shane ran a hand over his face, not even cringing when he touched his bruise. "Man, I don't know. It's gonna be hard to convince them," Shane sighed, leaning forward a bit.

"It may be the last time I ever get to leave this house," Ace was very quiet with her last plead. 

Shane heard her. Mostly because he knew it was better to risk her life than anyone else's. She may die here. And even if she doesn't, she's going to be stuck here, sicker than ever when they start with chemo. And then the surgery...

"I'll talk to them," Shane pushed himself up to stand. Ace let out a breath of relief. "I'll get back to you."

Ace closed her eyes as Shane left the room, thankful that he didn't turn her away like Daryl and Hershel. She knows that they may never agree to let her go out, but at this point, nothing could stop Ace. She'd sneak out if she had to.


	45. Space Is Closing In

Ace waited.

She could not believe how long days felt when she was stuck in this room.

She got up from bed and paced around the room a little bit, dragging her IV with her, but she got winded and sat back down.

Ace had been picking at the plate of eggs all day that Patricia left her, now to the point where they were finally almost gone. If she ate slow, she didn't get that nauseous. And she had to eat to get her strength up so she could go out on the run.

Ace even peaked out the door earlier, really wanting to leave, but she saw Carol in the kitchen and just sunk back inside the room. 

Now, it was dark again. 

Ace felt like she was trapped in a box. She was antsy and all she could think about was how shitty she felt cause she had nothing better to do! Hershel came in and checked on her once at dinner time, bringing her some fruits and water. No one else came in. Ace was glad she didn't have any one else from the group coming in and trying to talk to her. But at the same time, she was itching to know where Daryl was.

He hadn't come back today. He didn't even enter the house. Ace could tell cause she could hear all the voices in the front room. None of them were his today. And as she peaked out the window, she never saw him.

Ace sat on the edge of the bed, picking at the fruits Hershel left her. She was just waiting for Shane to come back and tell her that she could come on the run with them. Every time she heard a noise, she just looked towards the door, hoping it was finally time. 

The sun started to fall from its position in the sky and Ace still remained sitting on the edge of the bed. She was looking out the window, watching the small figures of the group move around at the campsite. It was hard to make out who was who, for she was a considerable distance away from them in this room. She could only see a couple of figures, and it seemed like they were getting ready to turn in for the night.

Ace had been watching for a little while now, and was starting to wonder what was going on with the Randal situation. It didn't seem like they were doing anything about it at the moment, maybe because it is too fresh after losing Dale.

And for Dale's sake, she hopes they do the right thing. She was dying to get out there and find out. She was just afraid to right now. And Hershel kept telling her to stay here. She didn't need any more drama. Ace sighed, standing up and moving over to the side of the bed by the bedside table. She grabbed the glass of water left for her, taking slow sips while she pondered her next move. Maybe she should just get out of here, walk around. The only reason she isn't is because she doesn't want to run in to anyone from the group. Except Daryl, she wanted to find Daryl.

Ace's attention was grabbed by some commotion going on outside. She could hear some voices, which wasn't unusual, but they seemed louder. Ace put down the glass of water and was turning to go walk over to the window. Before she could make it over, the commotion had already come to her.

The door to her room violently swung open, crashing against the wall, making Ace jump. Immediately, Ace was on guard and swiped her knife off of the table, but not before Daryl stormed in.

" _T'hell is wrong with you?_!" Daryl yelled, so loud it caught Ace off guard. Ace was taken aback and looked around quickly, spotting Shane and Rick lingering in the hallway. That must have been what the commotion was, them fighting with Daryl. "Tryin' to convince Shane to take ya on the run?!" Daryl was fuming, more than usual, leaving Ace shocked into silence.

"I-" Ace started.

"NO," Daryl cut her off, stomping closer to her. Ace had never seen Daryl so mad, and that is saying something cause he is always mad. "That cancer eatin' at your brain, too?! Are ya fuckin' delusional?!"

Ace scrunched her face at him, his body now very close to hers. He towered over her, up in her face like the angry hulk.

"You are _DYING_! An' ya more stupid than the rest of them thinkin' you are gonna be leavin' this room!" Daryl was huffing, nearly spitting in Ace's face. He turned to storm back out, not wanting to hear Ace's response for a second. But she wouldn't have that.

"That is not your decision to make." Ace said back as he left, not nearly as loud as him but still with a demanding tone.

Daryl froze.

Ace could see Shane and Rick watching from afar, looking on edge. Ace was having a hard time catching her breath, this all making her dizzy as she waited for Daryl to react. In a second, Daryl spun back around and took one large stomp back towards Ace, getting even closer into her face.

"The only time yer leavin' this room is when we carry your body out of here cause ya _dead_ ," Daryl growled maliciously at her.

Without letting a second pass, he spun and stormed away, slamming the door shut behind him. Ace felt the slam rattle in her bones, as well as the words Daryl just spoke to her. She heard the door to the house slam closed as well, and turned to watch through the window as Daryl angrily hurried off into the distance. He went away from everyone, like he was never to be seen again.

Ace let her arm fall to her side, still gripping onto her knife. She was lightly panting, trying to regain her footing after what just happened.

Daryl had been mad before, but never like that... Never with her. Ace had seen him scream at other members of the group, but he never did at her. Not even after telling him about Merle or all of the secrets she kept from him.

Ace was angry, too. But on top of that, she was stunned. She was trying to wrap her head around what Daryl said, but couldn't get her brain to stop running a mile a minute. She was trying to think this through, but was ultimately failing. She wanted to go on the run for her supplies, was that such a crazy thing? Even if she died trying, wouldn't it be better than anyone else dying? She already had negative odds anyway. If she did die trying, it would save a lot of people a lot of time and resources.

What Daryl said was repeating itself in her brain.

When she's dead.

That's what Daryl said. Not if, but when. As if its certain that she is going to die. And he wants nothing to do with her if thats the case.

Ace had known that the most likely outcome of this would be death. She had accepted this long ago. Or at least she thought she did.

But now it is real.

This is all too real.

\---------

Ace didn't unwind. She didn't relax. Hell, she didn't even move.

She doesn't know how long its been since she took her position sitting on the end of the bed again. She was staring out the window, waiting for something to happen. Or for someone, Daryl, to show his face again.

It was late now, too late for them to go on the run yet.

A part of Ace was still determined to go on that run. She thought her logic was perfectly reasonable, despite what Daryl said. Or anyone else for that matter. But that encounter with Daryl still weighed heavily on Ace's shoulders. Usually she was one to be able to think something through, come up with a plan, or at least push it aside. Now, her emotions were starting to win over her thoughts. She was trying her best to shake that and get her mind back on top.

Ace stayed there until the sun started to rise again. She was exhausted. Her body was wavering, aching in pain. Her head was light and she knew if she moved it would immediately start spinning. Her strength was at a minimum, but she still looked out the window. She didn't want to miss them if they left for the run without her. She was waiting. She didn't have a plan, but still she waited.

A little more time passed and Ace heard a light knock on the door. She had zoned out completely and the knock got her to regain awareness.

Ace stood and immediately she felt like her insides separated from her body. She wavered and her head spun, just like she knew it would. For a second her vision got blurry, but she took a deep breath and got her footing.

She was surprised and confused to see Carol open the door and walk in. What the hell was she doing here?

Ace took a quick glance out the window. No one else was out there.

"Ace," Carol cleared her throat, stepping inside the room.

Ace stayed silent, just watching her. A part of Ace would always feel guilt when she looked at this woman, but a larger part of her felt resentment. Every word Carol had ever said to her has been a part of a guilt trip, no matter what Ace might have done for her daughter. And Ace didn't want to hear it now. The main reason she didn't leave this room was to avoid the exact situation that was happening now.

"I overheard Shane talking," Carol said quietly. Ace couldn't figure out what Carol's reasoning or play was. "I heard that they are about to head out to a hospital for some supplies for you."

Ace immediately ignored Carol's presence and started working on getting the stupid IV out of her arm. Ace had to go catch up with them. When she zoned out, she must have missed them getting ready to leave.

Carol took a step forward, holding out her hand, signaling as if she wanted Ace to stop. "You hurt Daryl," Carol said. She didn't have any spite in her voice, but it sounded like manipulation.

Ace froze and glanced up at her, trying to stop herself from squinting at Carol.

"All your secrets," Carol shook her head. "The way you act... It gets people hurt. Like my Sophia."

Ace gulped. She gets that Carol may need an outlet for her grief, but how is this a good one? Ace worked so hard and so passionately to find Sophia, but none of that meant anything but failure to Carol. And what was Carol's point, bringing it up now? Here, like this?

"And now you've hurt Daryl," Carol said softly. "And these people are still risking their lives for you." Carol looked at Ace and opened her mouth like she was going to say something else, but instead just closed it and turned to leave the room.

Carol shut the door behind her and once again, Ace was stunned. She felt her heart sink as she thought about what Carol said. She had hurt Daryl?

Ace only spent a second trying to think her way around this, but then shook it off and continued pulling the IV out of her arm. She winced as she did, but knew she still had to go catch up with them if they were about to leave for the hospital.

But then Ace heard a noise, something scraping on the ground. And then the door rattled for a second before it stopped. Ace went over to the door to check it out, trying to ignore the way she felt physically and mentally. She reached for the door knob and turned it, but it was stuck. The door wouldn't budge.

Ace's face scrunched. The hell?

She tried again, using the little strength she had left, but still couldn't get the door to open. Ace took a second to peak through the crack of the door. She saw a chair.

That noise... That noise was Carol putting a chair up against the door.

Carol locked her in.

Ace took a step back, her mind running all over the place. What was happening?!

Ace banged on the door, but no one was around to hear it. Quickly, Ace went over to the window and looked out. She saw Carol walking away from the house back to the campsite. It was early, no one else was up. Except for a small group of people standing a bit away around a car. It was Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Hershel.

They were getting ready to go on the run.

Ace's heart dropped, she was feeling sick. There was no way they would hear her from here, and if they did, its not like any of them would do anything. Daryl would probably be happy Ace was locked in here!

Ace watched as Hershel handed them some papers, most likely the list of her drugs, and then Shane and Daryl got in the car.

Ace felt helpless as she watched the car drive off.

This wasn't right.

She was so stupid. She zoned out and missed them getting ready. And then she was stupid enough to listen to Carol instead of just rushing out the door!

Ace should've been one to go on the run. She should've been the only one to risk her life for this shit.

Rick stayed back and was currently talking Hershel's ear off, meaning he was going to take too long to come check on Ace and let her out of this room. There was no way she could catch up with them, no way Hershel would even give her the directions of where to go.

Ace backed away from the window and nearly fell onto the edge of the bed.

Why would Carol do this? Wouldn't she want Ace to go and risk her own life if she hated her so much? Was she trying to protect Daryl? By letting him go on this run?

Ace ran her hands over her face and slid onto the ground. She leaned against the side of the bed with her butt on the floor. Her emotions were running haywire. She was so frustrated and so confused. And more than that, she was helpless. Even though Shane and Daryl went on that run to help her, she felt more helpless than ever. And she was stuck. Not just metaphorically, but physically she was stuck in this room.

Ace felt her chest get tight, like the space was closing in on her.

What the hell was going on?


	46. Of Anger and Rage

Daryl and Shane drove in silence. Shane only ever took his eyes off the road to glance down at the map Hershel had given him, directions scribbled with marker on it.

Daryl didn't dare speak. Couldn't if he even tried. His stomach felt like it does when you hit the drop of a rollercoaster, not that he had ever been on one before. But he still felt like a weight had dropped in his stomach, a ball of fear and uncertainty, ever since Ace spoke those god forsaken words to him. He hadn't really slept the past couple of nights. He spent his time in the woods, barely putting much effort into hunting. He always found himself getting distracted, lost in his anger and whatever other foreign emotions he had.

Something in side him was unsettled, and he was positive it wasn't going away any time soon. He had his crossbow resting in between his legs, against the car seat. His head was low, watching as trees and grass blurred by the window.

He was worried about their outing to the hospital. They hadn't made much of a plan. They were in a hurry. Daryl was in a hurry. If something happened, they really didn't have much of a back-up plan. No signals for the group to come after them or anything. Daryl had always mocked the rest of the group for never planning shit out right, but now here he was. The only difference is that Daryl wouldn't accept any other outcome but this run being successful. There was no other way.

And not like Daryl had forgotten what happened last time Shane went with someone to get medical supplies. He didn't want to be another Otis.

But, unfortunately, Shane was the only one who would go out with him. T-Dog offered, having no bad feelings towards Ace. Not that T-Dog had any bad feelings towards anyone, though. Either way, Rick needed T-Dog's help with some things around the farm.

Chores. That really was more important, wasn't it?

Daryl shifted in his seat, starting to bite at his thumb. He was doing everything in his power not to think about Ace, to not think about what he screamed at her last night. Daryl wasn't foreign to pushing everything down. His only outlet was venting anger to anyone around him. But this time, that wasn't working. He'd never felt hurt like this, it was different than anything he'd ever felt when it came to Merle or his dad.

And it was something he couldn't stomach. So it was easier to just push it down, to just give up. The quicker he accepted that Ace was gone, the less it would hurt. The less he would think and the faster he could get on. He had to give up on Ace.

He just hoped his mind would let him.

But as Shane slowed down, arriving nearby the hospital, Daryl sat up, getting it to gear. It seemed his body wouldn't let him give up. He was ready to go, to get the supplies. He would do this last thing and then he was done with her. She wasn't going to bother him anymore.

Shane parked the car on the side of the road, half hidden in the brush.

The large parking lot leading to the hospital could been seen, only a couple walkers straggling along. They only ran into two on the road, Shane gladly running them down with the car. They mostly took backroads the entire way here, so luckily they didn't get blocked by any cars on the way.

Both of them got out of the car, quietly shutting the doors behind them. Shane folded the map and pocketed it. Daryl crumbled up the list of supplies from Hershel and shoved it into his back pocket as well.

Third floor, west wing. Thats where Hershel said they were headed.

Shane and Daryl picked off the walkers in the parking lot with their silent weapons, unsure of what to expect when they got closer to the doors.

\-----------

Ace stared out the window as Hershel finished his conversation with Rick, _finally_ heading back to the farm house.

Immediately, Ace was waiting at the door of this death trap of a room.

She heard Hershel mumble something and then she finally heard the scraping of the chair as he moved it away from the door.

As he opened it, before he could even ask or register what was going on, Ace was aggressively pushing through and past him. She was seeing red. And a little bit of black... She hadn't slept or ate in a while and had to shove the feeling of sickness down. She may be physically weak, but she sure as hell was not mentally. Not anymore. She was finally angry, finally allowing herself to stop thinking.

"Ace-" Hershel started, but couldn't even try before Ace was over to the front door and rushing down the steps of the house. The cool breeze of the morning brushed her hair across her face, providing her with more energy. This was the first fresh air she had felt in days.

Not everyone was awake yet. Only Rick, Carol, T-Dog, and Maggie were up, lingering around the camp.

None of them failed to notice Ace stomping up to the camp site.

This was the first they had seen her since they heard she had cancer. They first looked at her with pity. She looked different, now they were actually noticing how sickly she had looked all along. But then they were surprised, she walked with strength. More strength than she had, she definitely was forcing it out.

And then, they looked at her with surprise.

Ace's eyes had daggers shooting out of them. And her fist was clenched around her knife.

But those daggers weren't just shooting at anyone. They were aimed directly at Carol.

Carol.

Neither Rick nor Maggie could have expected or prepared for what did Ace as she marched up.

Carol had a look of distaste in her eyes as she saw Ace, but then fear flashed across them when Ace didn't stop as she came up to her. Without thinking, only feeding off this new found energy that she had, Ace aggressively approached Carol, pushing her against the tree behind her, Ace's arm going across her throat. It was the arm that Ace held her knife in, but she didn't put the knife directly against her. Only near, like a threat.

Instead her forearm roughly pressed against the frail woman's throat, holding her against the tree. Ace was close in her face, anger radiating off of her. Ace contained it as best she could.

Rick and Maggie's eyes widened, completely frozen in shock. This wasn't Ace. Ace was quiet, reserved. Ace was soft spoken and never seemed to show any type of emotion, especially not anger like this.

But Ace was not someone you locked up. Ace was not a dog you locked in a cage.

Ace had flashbacks to her mother as she violently stared into Carol's fake eyes. Ace's mother had once locked her in the attic for days when she was a child. Never again would Ace _ever_ be contained like that.

Ace wasn't like this, no. Ace was well thought out. But after the recent chain of events, Ace was acting. She had lost Dale and now Daryl. She was going to die soon anyway, so she was tired of just thinking.

Carol whimpered, trying to cry out as she frantically looked for help. But Ace just hardened her push against the woman's throat. She could see through her innocent act. Ace just stared into Carol's eyes, with her own cold ones. They shook Carol.

Rick and Maggie were still stunned, unsure of what to do. They were unsure of how to approach Ace, never having seen her like this before. They really didn't know _what_ she would do.

"Every day," Ace spoke lowly, in a harsh and aggressive voice. Her breath was warm on Carol's face. "Who was the one that went out every day to look for Sophia?" Ace almost growled.

Carol squirmed, trying to get out of Ace's grip. Even weak with cancer Ace still held her down. The throat was an uncomfortable, vulnerable spot.

"Who?" Ace spoke up now, shoving her body closer to Carol's.

Carol's eyes darted around, still whimpering quietly. "Daryl," she choked out.

Ace pushed harder against her throat. "Who?!" She asked again.

Carol stayed silent, looking at her with that timid fear again.

Ace sucked in a large breath. "Me. _I did_. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into that search." Ace stated boldly. " _What did you do_?"

Carol whimpered again. Ace searched her eyes, still seeing them for what they really were. An act. She cried and she cried, doing nothing but getting the rest of the group to feel bad for her. They took care of her, pampered her because of it. That was how she survived.

Ace was the one that was the survivor. She was the one that actually did things. But now, look at her. This timid woman gets to live while Ace is stuck inside, dying of cancer.

"Sophia was _not_ my fault," Ace lowly stated. Saying it aloud for the first time, actually believing it for the first time... Ace felt a weight rush off her chest. Ace was sorry that Sophia was gone, she really hurt for the girl. Ace had so much hope, so much need for her to be alive. But thats how the world is now. People are gone. Ace's little sister was younger than Sophia and she was gone. Ace will be gone soon, too. "But if one of them die," Ace went on, obviously referring to Shane and Daryl that had gone out for Ace's stuff. The ones that Carol let go out for her by locking Ace in that room. "That is _your_ fault."

With this statement, Ace released her grip on Carol and backed up. Carol's hands immediately went to soothe her throat, her body crumpling up a bit.

It was now that Rick and Maggie jolted up and came over. Hershel had also made his way over.

It was now Ace could hear people stirring, waking up in their tents. Ace didn't spare any one of them a glance, she just moved passed them all, heading further into the farmland. She didn't dare head back to that room.

"What happened?" Rick asked in a demanding voice.

Carol was holding back tears, still folding into herself by the tree.

Hershel spoke for her. "There was a chair up against the door, locked Ace in the room."

Rick was going to help Carol stand, attend to her, but after hearing that he stopped and looked at her. Rick had been present when Carol guilt-tripped Ace before, but he never gave it much thought. They had never really given Ace much thought at all. He realized now how stupid that was.

It was Lori that ran up to Carol when she got out of her tent and saw her crying. The rest of them, the ones that had witnessed what just happened, just kind of stood there. They didn't really understand, but knew that Carol had locked Ace in the room. They knew that if someone locked them somewhere, they'd be pissed too.

Surprisingly, no one was that upset with what Ace just did. It was uncalled for and unsafe, but they now looked a little differently towards Carol. Rick knew that Ace wasn't dangerous, he saw that the knife she held was just a threat, harmless. He still wasn't happy with that altercation though. "Alright, everyone come on. Give her some space," Rick said, signaling to Carol, ushering everyone to go back to what they were doing.

"Are you just going to let her get away with this?" Carol spoke up, gasping as she pointed to Ace.

"She didn't hurt her," Maggie chimed in, looking at Rick. Maggie felt for Ace. "I'd be upset too if I was locked in a room."

"She's bad for this group," Carol pushed out, still clinging onto Lori.

"She's _a part_ of this group," Rick stated back. He remembered that conversation he had with Ace a while back, telling her she was welcome with them. They were just too preoccupied to spare her time. She had always stayed to herself, stayed off with Daryl. Daryl wasn't someone they spent too much time worried about, either.

Immediately, they all thought about how Daryl would react if he were here. They all saw how they were together. It was a complete surprise to all of them, that Daryl would even let someone near him like that.

Everyone was a little surprised that Rick took Ace's side. Not that it was a bad thing, but this was not how he'd normally react to someone 'attacking' someone else. He was just a bit caught up thinking about things to do with Ace now.

"She's very ill," Hershel added in. They all heard that, but hearing him confirm it made it more real. "She's struggling."

Everyone's heads kind of bowed down, feeling bad for her. Dying of cancer in this world. Ironic.

None of them payed it much mind until now.

\---

Ace sat against the fence where they did gun training a while back. She had her butt on the ground and back pressed against the wood post.

She had to stop walking, her head was spinning. She just needed to get some alone time, away from the house and the group. That interaction was enough talking and face time to last her for another year. And she sure didn't want to hear anyones reaction to what she did. A part of Ace regretted it, knowing it would bring attention over to her.

Her thoughts were now going crazy once again. She tried to silence it, leaning her head back. She felt too sick to think anymore. It was just making her more dizzy.

She retreated into her head again, becoming more like herself. It was almost an out of body experience, going after Carol like that. She doesn't know what triggered it. Maybe just the fresh air made her realize that this might be her last time outside of that room.

It might even be her last time to do something stupid before... well, before she dies.

If Daryl and Shane do make it back with the supplies, she knows it will be time to start whatever treatment Hershel has planned. The dread that was eating away at her must have turned into whatever type of venting she just did on Carol. Ace was always good at reading people. She had just been too distracted by guilt to see what Carol really was. Ace didn't respect people that didn't know how to survive. Thats because Ace wanted to survive, but here she was. Dying.

The thought of Daryl flashed across her mind. She was going crazy, not being able to be at that hospital.

She hadn't seen Daryl in a few days, besides when he came in the room yesterday, furious at her. Ace wasn't even sure if that was yesterday, she hadn't slept all night. She still felt like she was walking around in a dream. His words still echoed in her head, the ones that told her she was going to die.

Thats why it should be her out there right now, not him.

This same thought flashed across Ace's mind until she found herself starting to pass out, darkness taking over the corner of her eyes.


	47. The End All Over Again

Ace felt a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking her.

Maggie had a quick moment of panic, thinking she was dead.

Ace jolted, her stomach bouncing up with her. Immediately Ace regretted the quick movement. How long had she been here?

"Sorry," Maggie offered with her southern drawl. "My dad said you needed your medicine."

Ace stayed quiet, now seeing the pill bottles and water she held in her hands.

"Thought you might be tired of hearing that from him all the time," Maggie came around to Ace's side. Maggie offered a smile, she knows her dad is persistent. She thought a fresh face would do Ace some good, even if Ace didn't want to see a face at all. Maybe besides Daryl's.

Maggie also had been thinking about what Ace did to Carol. She held a similar opinion of the woman that Ace did. It was nice to know there was another woman around here Maggie could relate with.

Ace took the pills and water from her. She slowly moved, not trying to push herself anymore for the day. She took them one by one, each once hitting her stomach like a bullet. Dread followed soon after. She knew that these pills would make her sick soon.

Ace normally would be overthinking something about Maggie, something about how she wanted to be away from the group. But today was the day for not thinking, right?

"I'm glad you did that to Carol," Maggie announced, looking straight down the road that led from the farm. Ace's face scrunched. "That woman is only good for cooking and cleaning."

Ace stayed silent.

"You should get some rest," Maggie offered, looking at the dark bags under Ace's eyes. "The shower upstairs still works."

The word shower had Ace's thoughts diverting from the feeling of sickness. As much as she did not want to go back in that house, she needed something to distract her from the thought that she wasn't out on the run. That she was sick. Daryl.

Maybe getting clean would do that.

Ace nodded and used the last of her strength to push herself up from the ground. She faltered as she stood, but took a moment to regain her balance. Darkness threatened to creep up on her again.

She pushed it down and started to move. Maggie and her walked back to the farm in silence. Ace didn't mind Maggie's company. Maggie was similar age to Ace. Ace usually preferred the company of kids, or Dale, but she always had known how to adjust. The thought of Dale had Ace recoiling again, but she grew distracted as they walked past the campsite. Luckily, no one said or did anything towards her.

Luckily, she made it to the shower without passing out.

\---

Dead bodies littered the floor. Blood stains covered almost every inch of the tiles.

Daryl and Shane stepped over each one, looking down at them, making sure they were _dead_ dead.

Ceiling tiles were hanging down, wires and light fixtures exposed and flickering. This place was straight out of a horror movie. They had only run into small groups of walkers. The rest were found inside of rooms with the door handles chained together.

They made it to the stairwell, but when they opened the door, it creaked something awful. They both paused, listening to their surroundings, shining their flashlights around. Growls came from the flight of stairs above them. Daryl quickly took the walkers out with his crossbow, collecting the bolts as he walked passed them.

When they made it up to the third floor, they stopped. There was a small glass window in the door that Shane peaked through. Immediately he stepped back, stressfully running a hand over his head. "Shit," Shane mumbled.

Daryl stepped around him, getting a look for himself. The third floor was full of bodies. Some idle, standing lamely still. The rest slowly wandered, dragging their feet as there was nothing up here left for them to eat. There were dozens of them. Dozens of walkers. There was no way they could sneak through them.

"There's too many," Shane said harshly under his breath.

"We can take 'em," Daryl grunted, loading a new arrow into his crossbow. Not giving it a second thought.

"No way," Shane shook his head. "We'll never get through."

Daryl ignored him and brought his bow back up.

Shane held his arm out. "Man, there's dozens of them. We head back, get a bigger group, then maybe."

Daryl wasn't about to waste anymore time. He sure as shit wasn't about to go back and face Ace. "Nah," he grunted.

"We can't bring back medicine if we're dead!" Shane yelled under a hushed voice.

Daryl started to grow agitated. If they don't bring back medicine then Ace is dead. Daryl pushed it down again. He was starting to grow out of control. He didn't know how to handle what he was feeling. He'd kill every dumb, dead bastard in there himself.

Daryl shook his head, pushing past Shane and heading for the door. Shane shoved Daryl's shoulder, shoving him back away from it. "There's no use dying for a girl that's already dead," Shane spat, still keeping his voice low even though his words rang loud in Daryl's ears.

The combination of Shane shoving Daryl and then what he said had Daryl acting before he wasted another second thinking. Quickly, he brought his fist up and sent it right into the side of Shane's face, letting out a loud grunt as he did. Ignoring the pain sparking in his knuckles, Daryl braced himself as Shane let out a growl and charged. Neither could register anything before they were tumbling down the stairs after Shane tackled Daryl.

They landed at the base of the second floor, both huffing loudly. Shane got up first, not having a crossbow in his way, and put his arm across Daryl's chest, madly grunting and trying to hold him down. Daryl was seeing red. But not only just red, he was also seeing Ace. Thats why Shane didn't stand a chance.

With all the fury in the world, Daryl kicked his feet out, giving him footing to push himself up. This was enough for him to free his right side, getting him a chance to send a second punch into Shane's jaw. Shane recoiled backward, stumbling. Daryl took the opportunity to jump up and grab his crossbow. He pointed it at Shane, standing above him as Shane leaned against one of the stairs, regaining his awareness.

"We take them," Daryl stated through his harsh pants. His chest was rising and falling heavily. Shane was doing the same. "Open the door enough for one of 'em to get out. Pick them off one by one," Daryl demanded, still pointing his crossbow at Shane.

Shane used his hands to push himself up and stand. Daryl took a step back, holding the bow up between Shane's eyes. Neither of them knew if Daryl would actually pull the trigger. Be pretty ironic if Daryl turned Shane into an Otis.

Huffing, Daryl watched Shane through the scope on his weapon. They stood like that for a minute, Shane running his hand over his head a few times. "Alright," Shane sighed.

Daryl squinted, slowly lowering his bow. He still kept his finger near the trigger, ready to pull it back up any second.

Shane took out his knife. Daryl eyed it, but relaxed a bit when Shane turned and walked back up the stairs. After all the noise they just made, banging down the stairs, the walkers had heard them. They were growling loudly, banging at the door. They were the first food they'd seen in months.

"Let's get this done," Shane straightened his posture.

\--

Rick was the first one to see the SUV speeding down the road, kicking up dust.

"They're back!" He announced from the top of the RV. The rest of the group was out there, getting ready for dinner. All except for Ace.

Rick came down from the RV to greet them as the car pulled to a harsh stop. Rick felt relief that they were back, but when he saw Shane again, dread followed soon after.

Both Shane and Daryl jumped out of the car more quickly than they had ever done anything. The ride back was tense, both of them still heated from their fight. Neither had anything good to say to the other.

The group gathered around, Hershel pushing through them and coming up to the car. "Did you find anything?" He asked.

Shane didn't spare him a word, just pushed past everyone and stormed off. He was covered in dried, brown walker blood.

So was Daryl. The blood was cracking on his skin as he went to the trunk of the car and opened it up. He pulled out four duffle bags and dumped them on the ground. "Got everything."

A part of him felt relief, but he didn't dare allow that to happen. He was still forcing himself to give up on Ace, telling himself she was dead. It was easier that way. Even though he got the medicine, the worst was yet to come. And he was pissed off at her. He was done with her.

"I guess chemo medication isn't something many people go looking for when the world goes to shit," T-Dog said. "That's a good thing for Ace."

Daryl tensed at the sound of her name.

Hershel came and gathered the duffle bags while everyone started to go back to their own business.

Daryl wanted to get out of here and was about to head back to his campsite, far away from them. Even though there was something drawing him to the house where she was, he wouldn't allow himself to think about it. That is until Rick came up to him, stopping him. "Things go okay?"

Daryl grunted, not wanting to get into shit. He turned away again

"Something happened today," Rick called after him. "With Ace."

This got Daryl to stop. Immediately that horrible sinking feeling rushed into his stomach. He felt something start to boil up his throat. He was waiting for Rick to say the word _dead._

"She attacked Carol."

Daryl was stupid to feel relief. He shouldn't be relieved, it just put false hope into his head that he was trying to give up on. Daryl was pissed that Rick had to phrase it like Ace died or somethin'. But then Daryl was kind of confused, giving Rick a look. That wasn't something Ace would do. Ace was the calm one, Daryl was the one that attacked people. Hell, Daryl had yelled at Carol himself after she always constantly was sayin' shit to Ace.

"Carol locked her in that room. Put a chair up against the door," Rick explained, a hand on his hip.

Daryl's face was scrunched, showing a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Never seen her like that before," Rick kind of said to himself, assuming that maybe Daryl would be more familiar with what to do. He was the one that was always near Ace.

Daryl took a moment, looking Rick over, trying to see if he was telling the truth. But it seemed like both Daryl and Ace got into fights today. The group was starting to realize that nothing good comes from separating Ace and Daryl. Soon, they would realize that, too.

"You should talk to her," Rick pushed, talking with his hands.

"Why me?" Daryl grunted, playing it off non-chalantly.

Rick leaned back, giving Daryl the most confused look. He thought it was obvious it should be Daryl. Him and Ace were... well they were something. Rick didn't really know, but he knew Daryl. He knew that if he was letting someone sleep in his tent, let alone go near him that often, it had to be something. Rick wasn't blind. And if the two weren't always together, they were at least always near each other.

Even though Daryl was trying to hide his reaction to Ace having cancer, it was still so easy for Rick to tell that it was breaking him.

Rick didn't want to push Daryl, no one did. Daryl was uncomfortable around the group and Rick was doing what he could to bring him back. And Rick knew Ace wouldn't care much for one of the other people to go in and lecture her, not after what happened with Carol. And none of them knew what to say to her right now.

Rick walked up to Daryl, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Talk to her."

Daryl bit at his cheek as Rick walked away, seeming to be stuck where he was standing. Daryl was agitated these people thought Ace was his problem. He was agitated Ace stuck around him enough for the group to notice. Daryl didn't want anyone to notice. _He_ didn't want to notice it.

Ace wasn't his problem. She was another dead girl.

Daryl didn't look towards the house or the group as he walked off. He didn't care what Rick said, he went back to his camp. He was avoiding the girl at all costs. He got her medicine, now she could leave him be.

Back at the farm house, Hershel quietly peaked into Ace's room.

Ace in the bed, curled up into herself. She was wearing a T-shirt so big on her that her small, frail body was swimming in it. She peaked over her shoulder when the door creaked open. She had hoped it would be Daryl, but it was just Hershel.

Hershel stayed at the door. "They got everything," he told her, his voice silent. "We start treatment tomorrow."

Ace felt like she had been shoved into the bed for it to swallow her as she watched Hershel back out and shut the door behind him. Her eyes glazed over as she looked to the spot he had been at.

It felt like the world ended for the first time all over again.


	48. Left With No Escape

Ace awoke to some movement next to her. She could hear something being moved around.

She blinked her eyes open, trying to swallow down the immediate feeling of nausea. Her throat was dry and scratchy and the light coming from the window sparked a migraine. It only took a few moments before all the events of yesterday flashed back into Ace's mind. It made her feel more sick.

"Good morning," Hershel whispered, standing next to her bed.

Ace shifted, pushing herself up into sitting position. She saw a table next to the bed with medical supplies on it, and the IV rack had returned. She knew something was about to happen, something she wasn't looking forward to.

It was time.

Immediately, Ace felt like she was going to be sick. She didn't know if she actually had to throw up, or if it was just the fear and dread from what was happening. Happening _way_ too fast.

Hershel handed her a plate of eggs with one hand, the other holding the bag he was about to hang on the IV rack.

"Eat and then we'll get started," He spoke quietly to her. Ace glanced at the eggs. How was she supposed to eat when her stomach was full of fear? "We will do chemo for a week," Hershel explained. Ace kept her eyes focused on the eggs in her lap. Flashbacks of her last treatment came running up into her head as Hershel went on to tell her how he was going to double up the chemo, allowing them to perform surgery quicker. It was going to be a long road to recovery after that procedure, and she would need all the time she could get.

Ace felt her breathing start to speed up. Fear tensed her muscles, making her body go frigid. This was happening now. She wasn't allowed time to think. She knew it was coming, knew yesterday was most likely going to be her last time outside. But she had just woken up, struggling to take all this in.

Hershel saw the pale color that took over Ace's face. He saw how she straightened her composure, preparing.

He knew that look.

Hershel quickly made a move to grab the bucket he had brought in from the side of the bed, swapping it out for the plate of eggs on Ace's lap. Ace gripped onto the bucket as her body shook, leaning over it as she fell sick.

Ace wasn't happy to have viewers as whatever contents in her stomach were being emptied into the bucket, but she had no choice. There wasn't much, mostly just vile. Ace started to dry-heave.

Hershel grabbed the glass of water on her bedside table. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, ignoring the bones that poked out. She was losing too much weight.

Ace caught her breath, allowing Hershel to take the bucket from her as she grabbed the glass of water. She took small sips, not risking anything. Hershel excused himself to take the bucket out of the room to clean up. As he did, he passed Lori in the kitchen.

Hershel grabbed her attention. "Could you step in on Ace?" He asked. Lori immediately nodded, setting down the dishes in her hands. "Make sure she eats."

Ace was zoned out when Lori came in, trying to sip on the water as her eyes watched out the window. Lori placed a light knock on the open door, getting Ace to glance over.

"Hey," Lori offered her a small smile as she came in. She was careful as she sat down on the chair next to Ace's bed, glancing over to the woman with sad eyes. It was now Lori could see how sick Ace looked.

"How are you?" Ace asked Lori, glancing to her stomach. Ace's voice was raspy from the way she dry-heaved.

Lori's head tilted at Ace, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I think I should be the one asking you that."

Ace huffed a breath, shrugging.

"All this time you were worrying about me," Lori shook her head. Ace stayed silent, she didn't have a way to explain anything. Lori sighed, glancing to the plate of eggs on the table. "Hershel said you needed to eat."

Ace glanced at the eggs, too, pondering if her stomach would be able to take it. She almost wanted to put it off so she could put off the bag of chemo that hung over her. But, knowing Lori would just pester her about it, Ace shakily pushed herself up.

Lori held out a hand, unsure if she should help Ace. Lori was afraid to touch her. Cancer was something Lori had forgotten about. She thought she would never have to worry about such a thing again. It was stupid, Lori thought as she looked to Ace. Just because the world ended doesn't mean things like that just go away.

Ace was weak as she sat up against the back of the bed frame, reaching to grab the plate of eggs. Lori sat with her, unsure of what to say as Ace took small, tedious bites. Ace was glad Lori didn't bring up what happened with Carol.

Ace didn't look at Lori, just down to the plate of eggs. Occasionally Ace couldn't help herself from glancing up to the window. She could see figures out there by the camp, but none were who she had wanted to see. Lori caught her taking glances to the group, the look on Ace's face distracted and pinched in distress. Lori followed her gaze, knowing who she was looking for.

"He's okay," Lori told her softly.

Ace snapped her gaze over to Lori, and when she saw that apologetic look on her face, Ace looked right back down to her eggs.

"He's been out hunting," Lori kept on, trying to comfort Ace. Or at least get some reaction out of her. Ace didn't respond nor look up, which she didn't need to for Lori to understand. Daryl hadn't come around the group at all the past few days, not after they found out about Ace. He was trying to distance himself again. "He'll come around," Lori gave her a smile, trying to reinforce to her what she believed. If anyone was going to get Daryl to come back, it was Ace.

Hershel returned shortly after that and Lori excused herself.

The rest was a blur. Ace was lost in anxiety, unable to tell if she was dreaming of her last treatment or actually experiencing this new one.

She didn't speak, only remained pale, through the process of Hershel poking a needle in her arm, administering the first round of chemotherapy. He spoke some things to her, but Ace was zoned out, stuck in what seemed to be somewhere between hell and Earth. Funny that the entire world felt like that now.

And then Hershel was gone and it had begun. The needle was sore in her arm, the fluid entering her bloodstream.

There was no escaping this now.


	49. Left To Be Alone

Daryl didn't come back. Not that day and not that night.

Rick had come to see Ace, only for a few moments. Ace worried that he was going to bring up Carol, but he didn't. He just apologized. For what exactly, Ace was not sure.

Ace told Rick that she would still talk to Hershel about Lori, for now she was going to be stuck with him a lot. Although, it seemed like an empty promise, for Ace wasn't sure if she would be around much longer to look after Lori in her pregnancy. Rick feared that too, but still thanked her before he left.

Glenn waved at Ace through the door from hallway as Rick left.

T-Dog had come in around lunch time, bringing her some grits he cooked up. Ace had wanted to be alone, but she was thankful for T-Dog. He never spoke of anything, never asked any questions. And for some reason, he always was upbeat. He seemed unbothered to sit with Ace. So he did. He had been keeping her company for the past few hours. It was nice. He was the only one that didn't have pity on his face when he looked at her. It surprised Ace how much these people cared. She had thought none of them would.

But Ace still felt hollow. Her mind drifted to Daryl.

Ace didn't really speak to T-Dog, besides asking about Randal. T-Dog informed her that they were going to sit on it, give him some time. Rick and Shane were figuring out what to do, but slowly. After that, T-Dog sat with her in silence. He turned the chair so he could watch out the window. He said it was nice to take a break and relax.

Once the sun started to set, T-Dog sighed. "I should probably go catch up with them," he announced as he stood up. "Or else I might knock out for the night in this chair."

Ace sent him a sheepish smile, nodding.

"You need anything?" T-Dog asked as he went to the door.

Ace just shook her head. "No thanks."

"Alright," T-Dog nodded. "Catch you later."

With that he left the room.

Ace had lied when she said she didn't need anything. She had to pee. _Really_ bad. She had to for the past hour, but couldn't work up the courage to ask for help. And she knew T-Dog would just want to help even if she didn't ask.

Ace was a disaster. Mentally, she was only making herself feel worse. She was a ball of anxiety and dread and was unable to think herself out of it. Not with the treatment poking into her arm. She was spiraling in her own thoughts. The fear of death was louder than it had ever been.

Hershel wasn't an oncologist. He was a vet. Everything he was doing for her treatment was his best guess. Hell, Ace was guessing too. She was even more of a disaster during her last time through chemo, she could barely remember half of it. This is such a specific fucking disease that they could be doing nothing right, only hurting her more.

Ace let out a huff. She couldn't do it anymore.

She either had to pee right now or just die. She chose the bathroom option.

Ace was glad she didn't fall over when she stood. Her knees were sore and her muscles were tired, but she held her ground. She hated being weak. But at the same time, she can't remember the last time she felt strong. As she left the room, she wanted to dart as quickly as she could to the bathroom. No one was in the house, but she didn't want to risk it.

But Ace couldn't make her body move faster even if she wanted to. It was irritating her, how much her body ached. At least she wasn't feeling worse than this. She had a feeling that was coming, though.

One step at a time, dragging the IV rack with her, Ace made her way to the bathroom. She thanked Hershel, or whoever designed this house, for putting one on the first floor. It was a miracle they still had running water and a working sewage system.

Ace sighed once she was alone in the bathroom. She let her eyes shut for a moment, trying to catch her breath from the walk over. She also was trying to will the thoughts in her head to shut up. Ace finally went to the bathroom, her face scrunched in pain each time she had to sit down and stand back up, her back screaming at her. For a moment, Ace was afraid she wasn't going to be able to stand back up. Her head was rolling on her shoulders, brain pounding against her skull.

She used all the strength she had to grip the IV stand, trying to use it as a cane to pull herself up. When she got to her feet, her stomach roared. Ace managed to flush the toilet, but the nausea that came curling through her body made her stumble. She was unable to make it to the sink to wash her hands before the burning sensation was in her throat.

And just like that Ace had fallen to her knees, gripping the toilet bowl as she emptied the contents of her stomach inside.

It was Lori that had heard her collapse and start puking. Ace couldn't be silent about it even if she tried.

Curiously, Lori left the kitchen to find the origin of the sounds. She had come in to grab some left over deer Hershel kept in the fridge, but didn't make it there before she heard Ace. Lori checked in Ace's room, but the door was left open and no one was inside. Lori scrunched her eyebrows as she checked the other rooms, making a quick realization when she spotted the bathroom.

Luckily Ace had left the door unlocked. Lori sent a knock, "Ace?"

Ace couldn't respond, she was still puking her absolute guts out. It burned the lining of her throat as she did, making sweat grow on her forehead.

Lori opened the door slowly, but once she saw Ace she quickly came over. Lori placed a hand on Ace's back, taking in what was happening. For a moment, Lori's own nausea started to bother her as she watched Ace. But Lori was concerned at how much Ace was throwing up. "I'll go get Hershel," Lori told Ace before quickly running off, trying to get some fresh air so she too didn't get sick.

Lori couldn't find Hershel on the first floor of the house, but passed by Maggie and Glenn coming inside on her search. "Maggie," Lori stopped her. "Where's your dad?"

Maggie was a bit taken aback at Lori's rush, the words coming out of her in a storm. "I'm not sure, he was with Beth. Why?"

"Can you help me find him?" Lori pressed. "Ace needs some help."

"Is she okay?" Glenn asked from Maggie's side.

Lori nodded. "She's in the bathroom sick. The baby is making me too nauseas to be there."

"I'll check for him upstairs," Maggie nodded, grabbing Glenn to head over to the staircase.

"I'll look outside," Lori agreed, turning around and rushing out of the farm house, the fresh air doing her good. But she was still nervous. She knew Hershel wasn't at the campsite, so she quickly went to go check around the barn. When he wasn't there either, Lori's eyes fell to where Daryl's camp was set up. With her adrenaline still pumping, Lori didn't hesitate to start stomping over there.

She was out of breath as she crossed the half mile of farm land to Daryl's campsite. When Lori got there, she didn't even make herself known. She could see him standing over his fire, setting up a squirrel he just caught to cook.

Daryl jumped back in irritation when he saw Lori huffing and puffing, on her way to bother him. But Lori didn't even let him get a breath out. "Ace needs you," she spat through a heavy breath.

Daryl looked at her for a moment, his chest heaving. "She dead?"

Lori swallowed. "She's fine, but-"

"Then she don't need me," Daryl tried to shake the woman off, turning back down to tend to his squirrel.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Lori stomped further in his camp, exasperated. "Ace is in there-"

"She ain't my problem!" Daryl snapped back up, vein popping out.

Lori stood there, looking at him dumbfounded. "What are you doing?"

"Tryna eat. Get away from all ya idiots," Daryl huffed. "Leave me be."

"No," Lori shook her head, stepping closer. "What are you _doing_?" Daryl now just looked at her, his jaw clenching. "That's Ace in there, sick," Lori shook her head at him, pointing back to the farm. "You two care about each other, don't you? You're friends?"

Daryl didn't respond, frozen in his place as he watched Lori go on. "Look," Lori paused, trying to catch his eyes. "I know you're scared-"

"I ain't scared of shit," Daryl cut her off, spitting. He turned around, trying to get away from her.

"So Ace means nothing to you?" Lori nearly gasped out after him. "Look me in the eyes and tell me thats true, Daryl."

At the way Lori pushed Daryl, he spun back around, stomping over to her. Anger flared up, making his face red. "I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Neither did she. None of us did!"

"She coud'a said something! She didn't. Ain't my problem," Daryl spat, huffing as he drilled a finger in the direction of the house. "You ain't my problem either, Olive Oil. Just get, leave me be."

Lori stood there, trying to catch her breath as she watched Daryl angrily shuffle back over to the fire. He was mad that Ace didn't say something? Lori wondered. But Lori was clueless on how to deal with Daryl, there was no way to get through to him. She sighed, giving up. But as she was about to turn and walk away, she paused to look back at him. "She cares about _you_ ," Lori said under a breath. Daryl froze at her words. "Maybe think about something other than yourself. If she dies in there, you'll regret it."

Lori was angry as she spat those words out, not sparing him another look before she turned and walked away from him.

Daryl didn't look up as she left, his muscles tensed and mind rigid. His jaw clenched as the words Lori said to him beat on his head like a sledgehammer.

*

Lori went back to the house, quickly rushing over to Ace's room. She let out a breath of relief when she saw Ace in bed, Hershel checking over her.

"Hey," Lori stepped inside, looking to Ace. "Doing alright?"

Hershel was taking the IV out of Ace's arm, the bag of fluid now drained. Ace's head was back against the headboard, her eyes struggling to stay open. "She's okay. Just exhausted," Hershel informed Lori as he stood up, collecting the empty bag.

Lori nodded, stepping back to give Hershel space. "Had me worried," Lori admitted, glancing to Ace.

"Her body was just reacting to the treatment," Hershel let out a sigh. "It should ease up once she gets used to it."

Lori stuffed her hands into her jean pockets, nodding.

"We should let her rest," Hershel placed an arm out, signaling Lori to exit the room with him. Lori spared Ace one more glance before she left with Hershel, shutting the door quietly behind them.

\---

The farm was quiet.

Darkness had taken over and everyone was asleep. They had gone off to their respective places hours ago.

Except Daryl.

Now, he stood in front of Ace's door.

He stood there for what felt like hours, not making a sound. A few times he stepped away, shaking his head and going to leave, but he just came right back.

When he finally reached for the doorknob, he held up his posture. His body was tense, back rigid as he opened the door. He didn't look inside right away, he just stood there. He kept telling himself to leave. But then his eyes couldn't help but flicker over.

Ace was in the bed, curled up into herself. He could barely see her under the blankets, body facing away from him. She was asleep, her eyes shut, mouth clenched as her chest was rising and falling lowly. For once, instead of anger filling up his insides, something else took him over. Something new and fucking terrifying. He had no control over it and it made him want to run from it.

But as Daryl looked at her, every thought about giving up on her left his head immediately.


	50. Here But Not Here

Hershel came to check on Ace in the middle of the night. He hadn't been sleeping much these days. When he quietly slid open the door, a candle in his hand, he was surprised to see someone else in the room. Hershel stepped inside, making Daryl nearly jump out of his seat. But Hershel held a finger up to his lips for Daryl to stay quiet. Daryl had wanted to either run out or tell Hershel to get.

Hershel tip toed over to Ace to check on her.

Daryl was rigid in the wooden chair. He had brought it over to the other side of the room to sit against the wall, as far away from Ace as possible. He had meant to leave when he saw she was asleep, but wanted to get a grip on himself first. And then what Lori said was ringing in his head. He would regret it if he left. Especially if Ace woke up sick.

Hershel didn't say anything to Daryl or spare a glance as he quickly took a look at Ace. Then, without another sound, Hershel left the room.

Daryl's insides were clenched at someone catching him in here, but he tried to stuff it down. _He would regret it._

Daryl couldn't relax again after that, especially when Hershel came back in. This time, Hershel threw something over to Daryl. Daryl caught it and squinted at the old man when he said nothing, just turned and left again. Looking down at what Hershel had thrown at him, Daryl noticed it was a novel. Hershel had figured he would need something to do other than stare at these plain walls all night.

Daryl continued to sit in that chair throughout the night. He either was anxiously bouncing his leg or attempting to flip through the pages of the book Hershel gave him. But the words wouldn't stick in his brain.

He couldn't get his head to work right. It wasn't on straight.

\--

Ace didn't want to wake up. Her body ached to just remain in bed.

She was exhausted. So much so that she laid there with her eyes shut for a while, trying to will herself back to sleep. But she couldn't, for the sun was radiating in her room and onto her face. Still, Ace didn't want to move. She didn't want to face another round of chemo, not after yesterday. But it seemed she didn't have an option.

And it seemed she didn't have an option to lay in bed any longer, either. As soon as her body started to wake up, her stomach was flip flopping. Ace groaned to herself, curling tighter into fetal position to try and will it away. But soon it was hurting from how nauseated she was, and she felt that prick start to form in her throat.

Knowing it was about to happen, Ace ripped the covers off of her and sat up as a fast as she could. She nearly dove to the side of the bed, snatching the bucket that Hershel left on the floor. Before her eyes could even adjust to the daylight, Ace was hurling into the bucket.

It was the sound of Ace puking that got Daryl to wake up. He jolted up in his seat, book falling onto the floor. It took him a second to regain awareness, seeing Ace throwing up into a bucket. Daryl shot up onto his feet. He didn't mean to fall asleep. He had meant to leave.

Daryl's eyes shot to the door, wondering if he could make it out. Maybe she hadn't noticed him yet.

"Daryl?"

Ace's quiet, hoarse voice snapped Daryl's attention back. His whole body froze as she looked at him. She was pale as she brought the back of her hand up to wipe at her mouth, body quivering. But her eyes were bugging out. Ace had not expected anyone to be in here, especially not Daryl.

Daryl shifted on his feet, not sure what he should do.

Luckily, Hershel had heard her and was coming into the room before either of them could understand what was happening. Hershel didn't look between the two as he entered, not concerning himself with them. "Good morning," Hershel tried as he walked over to Ace. "Or it seems not so good," he joked lightly. Ace had to physically rip her eyes away from Daryl to see Hershel approach. He set down a granola bar on the bedside table before reaching to take the puke bucket for her.

"Sorry," Ace said pathetically as he took it.

"Feeling better?" Hershel asked. Ace nodded. She was now that she emptied her stomach again. "Good," Hershel stepped away. "I'll be back shortly." Hershel then turned to look at Daryl. "Make sure she eats," he pointed at the granola bar before stepping out of the room, clicking the door closed behind him.

Ace didn't dare look at Daryl right away. She was embarrassed that he was here when she had just woken up sick. But then Ace realized _he was here_. She looked back at him with big, tired eyes.

Daryl shifted on his feet. It took him a moment before he could meet her eyes. They held each other's gaze and just like all the times before, so much was said with only a look. Long moments passed before Daryl spoke.

"Prefer wakin' up to an alarm clock," Daryl mumbled under his breath, trying to take a light approach to the situation. He also needed an excuse to look away from her eyes, them getting under his skin. Daryl really had no clue how to approach this. No clue what to do, what to think, or what to feel. Hell, this was his first time feeling half of this. "'Should eat," Daryl grunted, pointing at the eggs on the table.

Ace didn't look away from him, too dumbfounded. "Thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

Daryl brought a hand up to chew on his nail, afraid to look at her again. Lori was right in what she said, he did feel regret. "Ya could'a said somethin' to me," Daryl grumbled. Him, not Dale.

Ace knew he was angry that she didn't tell him sooner about her cancer. Maybe he was right. "Would it've made a difference?" Ace frowned, her voice as quiet as a mouse. Daryl didn't respond, didn't look at her yet. "You wouldn't have let me come with you." She referred to the hunts and searching for Sophia. He would've just locked her in here sooner before she could figure anything out. But Daryl would have also not have let her stick around him, he would've ran off like he just had. He wouldn't have let her in his tent.

But thats why it hurt him. Ace weaseled her way in and he _let her_ , but the whole time she knew she was dying. Like she didn't care if she croaked in his tent one day.

Daryl huffed, moving back to the chair. He sat on the edge of it, like he was ready to bolt again. "Jus' eat," he mumbled.

Reluctantly, Ace sighed and grabbed the granola bar, cringing in pain as she moved her back. They stayed silent as she took small bites. Ace was just waiting for him to leave again, to go disappear hunting for more days on end. And when Hershel could be heard walking across the house to come back to the room, Daryl stood up like he was going to.

"Just gonna leave again?" Ace stopped him. The words came out of her mouth before she even knew she was going to say them. Hurt made them push their way out.

Daryl looked at the door like he was thinking about it, just didn't know what to say. Ace's stomach clenched. She didn't know why, but it killed her inside.

Daryl glanced back at her, now finally meeting her eyes. For one of the first times he saw vulnerability on her face. Ace looked back, knowing this might be the last chance. The air was heavy around them as they held eye contact. She sucked in a breath before she spoke. Before she pleaded.

" _Don't_."

\----------

Daryl stayed in the room.

He had stood there looking at her for a long moment, spinning circles around in his head. But the way she _looked_ at him had him nodding, even when he wanted to leave.

When Hershel came in, Daryl went back to sit in the chair. He didn't say another word, neither of them did. Daryl looked down at his boots as Hershel set Ace up with the second round of chemo, administering the IV. When Hershel finished talking to Ace and left the room, Daryl still didn't look up.

They sat uncomfortably with each other for a while, neither having a clue what to say. Ace's heart was still racing that he actually stayed. She didn't think he would, and now she wasn't sure what to do. But after a bit, Ace couldn't sit there in silence with him anymore.

She slid to the edge of the bed, careful with her movements. They weren't graceful to any means, grabbing Daryl's attention. He glanced up at her, sitting up a bit when he saw her moving to leave. "Bathroom," Ace grumbled, trying to preserve some of her dignity.

Daryl stayed silent as he stood up. Ace didn't acknowledge him as she dragged the IV rack out of the room. When she didn't, Daryl lingered behind, eyeing her as she walked to the bathroom. He stayed in the doorway as she went down the hallway.

It was midday so some people were moving in and out of the house. The idea of them seeing Daryl help Ace got him to stop. And he didn't know how to help her or what to do, so he just stood there, hiding. He watched Ace make it into the bathroom.

Ace took as long as she possibly could inside. She had left her toothbrush in here last night so she spent as much time as possible trying to get the vomit residue out of her mouth. She then went pee, washed her hands, and washed her face. And then she just stood there, looking into the mirror. She was trying to get her head on straight about Daryl. And then, when she really took a look at herself, she started spiraling over her state. Her head bowed, she didn't want to look anymore.

Ace didn't want to go back to that room. She wanted to be going on a hunt or sitting on the top of the RV with Dale, reading a book. But reluctantly, she went back. At least no one bothered her as she slowly limped to her room. She was still terrified someone was going to lecture her about what happened with Carol the other day.

When she got inside the room, her heart dropped for a second when she didn't see Daryl. But when she looked around, she spotted him leaning against the wall on the side of the room. He still didn't look up to her as she went to sit on the bed.

And thats how the rest of the day went.

\----

Hershel came to check on Ace a little while later. The bag of medicine was now empty, so he removed the IV from Ace's arm.

Ace was exhausted. She felt like she had only just woken up, but yet she was still drained. She was in autopilot as she ate the potatoes off the plate Hershel brought for her. Autopilot was the only way she was going to stay sane right now. The second round of chemo was in. She knew if it was anything like the first, bad things were coming soon. She also was just mentally going nuts. She was sitting in bed in a box of a room all day. Daryl and her were silent, just sitting in each other's presence. He only ever grunted at her, barely looking at Ace. Something was off with him and Ace had no idea what to do.

It's like he wasn't even here. Like he didn't want to be. Like he didn't want anything to do with her.

So Ace was stuck to do nothing but think.

"How do you feel?" Hershel asked Ace.

Ace almost laughed sarcastically, not knowing where to start. But instead her face stayed blank, watching as Hershel put the IV rack into the corner of the room for tomorrow. "Tired," was all Ace said. It was all she could say. She felt too many things.

"As expected," Hershel said. "I'll be back in the morning to get the IV going again."

Even though Ace knew that was the plan, every time Hershel said that she felt her face sink. At least day two was over. Another day closer to death. Ace shook her head, pushing those annoying thoughts out.

"Daryl," Hershel looked towards him now. He still was in the corner of the room. "Carol made you up a plate of food in the kitchen." The sound of Carol's name had Daryl glancing at Ace for a second. He sent Hershel a small nod. "Make sure you keep your hands clean. Ace's white blood cell count is down, making her susceptible to infection," Hershel informed.

Ace scrunched her face at how he talked about her like she wasn't sitting right here. Also at the fact that there was always something else to get her sick.

Daryl sent a grunt, sitting back in his seat as Hershel left the room. Daryl kept his face normal, but was now hyper aware of every speck of dirt that was on his body. He now was even more nervous about going anywhere near Ace, feeling like he was covered in some shit that might get her more sick.

Ace was sliding down in the bed before she even registered that her body was moving. She was exhausted, every bone in her body aching to be closer to the bed.

Daryl eyed her as she laid. He could tell when the girl was overthinking everything, and there wasn't a moment that had passed today when she wasn't doing so. But like every other time, it always caught up with her. Ace grew so tired that she couldn't think even if she tried. Maybe that is the one bonus of chemo, it gets her mind to shut up. She really didn't care about anything at that moment besides sleep. It probably was only like 6pm.

Daryl watched as within minutes Ace's eyes had shut and she had passed out.

His demeanor relaxed a bit, his shoulders dropping slightly. Whatever facade of silence and straight faces he was holding up today fell. He wasn't doing it intentionally, but now that Ace was sleeping he felt like he could let himself think for a second.

Daryl rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward.

It had been a long day.

\---

Daryl was starving

He waited a while, until he heard most of the group go to bed and was sure that Ace was sleeping for the night. Daryl slipped out of the room, crossbow hanging off his back.

It was strange to be in the house alone, but getting out of that room felt nice. He was starting to understand just how crazy that room had been driving Ace. Even though it was safe and comfortable, it isn't easy sitting in a box for days on end. As Daryl grabbed the plate of food Carol left for him, he also understood how much worse it would make it to be locked in that room. Daryl shoveled food into his mouth with anger. It only took him a couple of seconds to finish the plate.

As Daryl rid of the plate back on the counter, he started thinking about what Hershel said about Ace's susceptibility to infection or whatever. Daryl looked down at his hands. There was dirt all over them, stuck under his fingernails. He needed a shower. Hershel said it himself that Daryl could make Ace more sick.

Daryl went upstairs, not giving a shit if the old man cared if he used the shower or not. He made the shower quick, a little paranoid that one of the group members was going to find him and start bitchin'.

Daryl had his crossbow hanging in his hands at his side as he stood in front of Ace's door again. She was sleeping, he could just leave. He should.

Daryl was stuck in making his decision when he heard a bang from inside Ace's room. All thoughts left his head and he quickly barged in without hesitation. His eyes darted to where she was sleeping, but Ace wasn't there. Anger and panic were about to take over him, but then he glanced around. Ace was on the ground. She was in the corner of the room, crumpled on her hands and knees. Hershel had set the puke bucket there. Ace had to crawl over it.

A horrible feeling took over Daryl. That same regret. He had left and he was planning to not come back in. But while he was gone, Ace had woke up sick and no one could help her get the bucket.

Daryl quickly set his crossbow down on the ground and went over to Ace. She retched something awful into the bucket, her body wracked with cold sweats. Daryl took hesitant steps as he got closer to her, not sure what to do. She just had to get it all out.

Ace's face was hidden in the bucket as her body convulsed. Her arms were shaky trying to hold herself up, hair matted to her face. It felt like a demon was forcing its way out of her. She couldn't stop puking so much that her throat was starting to hurt. Her stomach felt like a fist was wrapped around it, squeezing it. At this point, she didn't feel like her head was even attached to her body. Her knees were in pain as they knelt on the ground. Her eyes were glossed over from them watering. She puked a couple more times until she just gagged and the nausea finally slowed down. Ace took this time to catch her breath and get out of the painful position she was in.

Shakily, she leaned back, bringing one hand up to wipe at her mouth. It didn't take her long to notice Daryl standing a few steps back from her. He was shifting on his feet again.

Ace sat, or more so kind of fell, back into a sitting position. Luckily the bed was close enough for her to rest her back on.

Daryl looked at her, seeing her pale and purple face. Sweat had the hair on her forehead sticking to her skin. Her cheekbones popped out, making her face look even more hollow. Ace's breaths were a bit heavy as she looked back at Daryl. She was taking deep breaths as her eyes narrowed at him. "Thought you left," she huffed, cringing as she moved to sit up.

Daryl grunted. "I'm here, ain't I?"

Ace looked back at him, just watching him for a minute. Eventually, she shook her head. "You're here," she swallowed. "But you aren't _here._ "

Daryl met her eyes for a moment before he huffed, starting to pace. "T'hell does that mean?"

Ace was so tired she wasn't sure she was thinking straight. Normally, she tried not to feel, tried not to voice anything. Especially not to Daryl. But she was hurting. "Did I do something?"

Daryl stopped pacing to look back at her. She had an expecting look on her face, sad almost. It made Daryl's insides curl. He looked away and turned his back to her. Ace frowned. It took her a moment to work up the next words she wanted to say. "I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner," she spoke nearly under her breath, looking down to her lap. "I was just... Just trying to figure it out."

Daryl scoffed.

"I didn't think anyone would care."

That got Daryl to spin around. "What do ya want from me? Huh, Ace?" He snapped, his voice louder. "T'hell am I doing here?"

Ace just looked at him, not having a clue what he meant. And she didn't have an answer. She didn't know. "You don't have to stay," was all she could mumble out.

Daryl scoffed again, swatting a hand at her as he started to pacing in the same spot. Ace looked down from him again. She didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do with Daryl. She knew she was being so back and forth with him, but she couldn't force Daryl to do anything. She couldn't figure anything out for him.

"Shit," Ace grumbled, grabbing Daryl's attention. Ace had thought she was done puking for the night, but her stomach started to bubble up once more. She tried to hold it down, will it away, but she had no control of it.

Daryl stomped over, thinkin' she was about to say some shit to him. But when he looked down, he saw her gripping her stomach. The look on her face had him quickly rushing over to the puke bucket, sliding it over to her. Ace grabbed onto the side and leaned over, coughing into it as she hurled again. Daryl stepped back, eyeing her as she did.

Ace didn't have much left to get up this time. She hoped maybe it was just this once more and then she'd be done. Ace coughed, leaning over the bucket for a few minutes longer just to make sure she had nothing left. She hated this. She hated suffering like this, getting sick like this. Especially when a part of her knows she is still going to die.

When it felt clear that nothing was going to sneak up on her, Ace hummed in annoyance at her aching body, leaning back against the bed.

But then Ace started laughing. It was a sarcastic, empty chuckle that weakly came out from her scratched throat. Daryl looked at her quizzically, still so uncertain. "Sorry," Ace breathed out. "That wasn't fair. Forgot what we were arguing about."

Daryl huffed and moved the puke bucket over to the side.

Ace peaked her tired eyes open. She didn't like that he was helping her now, he was upset with her. "I meant it though," Ace mumbled out, her throat like sandpaper. Daryl glanced at her. "You can go."

It was like puking reminded Ace that she was dying. It was selfish of her to ever ask him to stay in the first place. If she died, she would just take him down with her. She was used to being alone, she can stay that way.

Daryl was quiet for a long while, just observing her. He was trying to think but nothing made sense in his head. "Ya want me to stay?"

Ace met his eyes. She was torn. She didn't want to push him, didn't want to push herself. She didn't know what to do. She was dying. She didn't know what would happen.

"Can't make up yer damn mind?" Daryl chuffed. He wasn't as angry as before, just irritated. He needed a decision.

Ace huffed out a breath, knowing she couldn't keep being half in and half out with him. She just had no idea what she wanted, what she felt. She wasn't used to this. All Ace could do was look at Daryl and nod.

Daryl nodded back, mostly as a reaction for him to process it.

Ace was surprised when Daryl let out a grunt, making the movement over to her. Without looking at her again, he sat down his crossbow and set next to her on the floor. He left a reasonable gap between them, but rested his back against the bed, too. Ace looked over to him, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. It was strange for a moment, this being the closest they had been to each other.

They sat next to each other in silence. But Ace was okay with the silence this time. She could feel his presence.

Just that little bit of relief was enough for Ace to let the exhaustion take her over again. She didn't remember much before she felt sleep consume her.


	51. When Things Stand Still

The next morning, Daryl jolted awake at the sound of someone in the kitchen outside the room.

It took him a minute to remember where he was, looking around and taking in his surroundings. He tensed up when he saw Ace. They both had fallen asleep, sitting on the floor against the bed. As Ace slept, her body had shifted, falling into a laying position. Now, her head rested on Daryl's leg, using him as a pillow.

Daryl was frozen, looking down at her. His hands were slightly up in the air, not sure what to do with them. And Daryl stayed frozen for a moment, contemplating what to do. When he heard voices from outside the room, Daryl started to slide out from Ace. Like hell he'd have someone walk in on him cuddled up with the girl. Daryl gulped.

He ever so carefully held Ace's head up and slid his body out from under her. He wasn't just gonna let her sleep on the floor, the old man would have a heart attack if he saw that. Daryl glanced back at the door, making sure no one was coming in. He huffed and knelt down, scooping Ace into his arms. He let out a quiet grunt, but the girl barely weighed anything.

Daryl stood with Ace in his arms, stepping towards the bed. He carefully set her on it, trying to be as gentle as he could to not hurt her in some way. Also, he did not want to have her waking up while he was holding her. That was a situation Daryl would avoid at all costs.

Ace only stirred slightly when she hit the bed, not waking from her exhaustion.

Daryl looked down at her.

She looked peaceful as she slept. It was the only time she didn't look like she had a thousand different things on her mind. The only time she didn't look like she was trying to read everyone, figuring some shit out in her head. More than this, it was the only time she didn't seem sick. The only time it didn't seem like she was dying.

Daryl's head snapped over as he heard the door start to open. He immediately straightened his posture, his face souring. As Hershel walked in on him looking at Ace, Daryl grabbed his crossbow off the ground and stormed passed him. "Gotta piss," Daryl grumbled, not looking up as he pushed out of the room. 

When Daryl exited the bathroom and came downstairs, the group was waiting for him. Annoyance filled the creases in his face.

"How is she?" Maggie asked.

Daryl just sent a shrug and tried to move past them. He didn't want to talk. This was why he didn't want any of them knowing shit about him and Ace. He wanted to bolt out of here as fast as possible

"Daryl," Rick called after him, trying to get him to come back. Next to Rick, Carl started asking if they could go in and see Ace. Daryl tried to ignore all of them.

"Did you talk to her?" Lori asked from behind Rick.

Daryl was now tensed with irritation, the group not gettin' off his ass.

"We can't just let what happened with Carol-"

"Leave her be," Daryl snapped, cutting off all of them. Daryl looked across all their faces. "All of ya."

"Daryl, we'd like to know what is going on," Rick pressed, keeping his voice calm and orderly like always.

"She's asleep," Daryl grumbled with anger. "Anyone tries to go in there, I'll string ya up myself."

With that Daryl turned and headed back into the room angrily. When he got inside, Ace wasn't asleep anymore. She was sitting up on the bed, Hershel at her side getting the next IV started.

Daryl's nerves were shot even more now that she was awake and Ace made eye contact with him. Daryl was afraid she would read what was all over his face so he looked away, going over to the chair across the room.

When Hershel put the needle in her vein, Ace tried to remain calm, but it was too obvious she was freaking out by the way she twitched and her eyes bugged out. Ace kept her eyes low as Hershel finished up and left the room, leaving her with a plate of eggs. He said they were compliments of T-Dog.

Ace picked at them with the fork, watching as Daryl anxiously bounced his leg up and down in the chair.

Ace tried to ignore everything in her head and held up the plate of eggs. This got Daryl's attention, getting him to glance over at her. She was offering him some. Daryl just grunted, denying her offer, and looked away.

"Gotta eat too," Ace mumbled.

Daryl was hungry, but its not like he was going to eat her food. She needed it.

"C'mon, _Mouse_ ," Ace joked tiredly. She was too drained to actually be amused, but that word seemed to be a running mockery between them.

Daryl stopped and turned to her. His face was straight, but as he looked at her he let out a snort. "That ain't my name," he grumbled as he gave in, walking to the opposite side of the bed that Ace was in.

"Not mine, either," Ace hummed back, squinting at him as she handed over the plate. Daryl just huffed as he took it from her, sitting on the edge of the bed.

With his back facing Ace, he sat hunched over and started to fork the eggs in his mouth. He'd have Hershel fill up the plate again for Ace when he was done. Girl would eat whether she liked it or not.

When he finished, he sat up a bit, playing with the fork in his hands. Ace could tell he was thinking about something.

"Wha' happened with Carol?" Daryl asked quietly, turning his head a bit but not looking back at Ace.

Ace tensed a bit, she was waiting for that to be brought up. She had hoped it would just get ignored and she could pretend it didn't happen. Like a lot of things did around here. These were also the first normal words Daryl had actually said to her in a while. Ace hoped he was getting over how upset he was.

When she stayed silent, looking down at her hands, Daryl shifted sideways to face her as he sat on the bed.

Ace could feel his eyes on the side of her face. "Locked me in here," Ace said quietly, not looking at Daryl. "So I couldn't go on the run."

 _Good_ , Daryl thought for a split second.

"Was angry. I went up to her," Ace kept on lowly, not knowing why she was even talking about this. "Put my arm on her throat. Told her Sophia wasn't my fault."

Daryl looked away from her, thinking about what she said. He couldn't imagine Ace doing that, let alone saying that. He knew Ace always blamed herself for Sophia. He was angry that, that happened. Angry that Carol did that shit. Angry that he wasn't there. Hell, he wanted to do that to Carol.

They fell into silence again.

"My mom was a drug addict," Ace picked at her IV, catching Daryl off guard. He hadn't expected Ace to speak anymore, she never did. And she _sure as hell_ never talked about herself. Ace didn't know why she was telling him this. She didn't know how she was comfortable to. Maybe it was just the fear of Ace dying, being wiped off this Earth without anyone remembering her. "I don't remember her much," Ace shrugged. "Just the bad stuff."

Daryl was turned around, eyeing her again. She spoke so normally about it, but Daryl was lost in the fact that they had shitty childhoods in common.

Ace glanced to him, feeling his eyes on her. He was curious, that she could tell. For once, she didn't over think it. He stayed with her so the least she could do was tell him shit. Maybe he wouldn't be so mad at her for keeping secrets then.

"There was this storm," Ace continued. "Real bad. I remember it was completely dark... I couldn't see. Couldn't _breathe,_ " Ace's eyes trailed off as the memory came back. She spoke so quietly Daryl had to physically _try_ to hear her as she mumbled. "It had been days without food or water. And the thunder didn't stop, not 'til the police came."

"Wha' happened?" Daryl couldn't help himself but ask, looking at her carefully.

Ace looked at him again, letting out a sigh. "My mother locked me in the closet so she could shoot up one night, but she took too much. O.D'd on the couch," Ace nodded to herself. "I was in there for 3 days."

It hit Daryl then why she was telling him. Why she got so mad when Carol locked her in this room. Daryl looked at Ace, seeing himself in her. But not the bad part, the part that made him want to be better. Damn stupid.

"Well," Daryl huffed to shake it off, pushing himself to face her a little bit more. "Shitty parents we got in common."

Ace now was the one looking at him, surprised he was talking.

"My ol' man was a real piece of work," Daryl nodded to himself. At the mention of his dad, Daryl shielded himself from Ace a bit, looking away. Ace could tell right then and there he didn't want to say more about it. Ace had her assumptions, but knew not to push it.

"I never knew my dad," Ace mumbled quietly, growing silent again.

"Wish I had that pleasure," Daryl grumbled.

"What about your mom?" Ace questioned.

"She died," Daryl stated, without much remorse in his voice. He was so young when she did, he was like Ace, not bein' able to remember her. "House fire when I was a kid."

Ace took in what he said, wheels spinning in her head.

Daryl didn't like the attention on himself, so he looked back to her, remembering something. "Yer sister, ya said she was in foster care," Daryl poked, watching at the way Ace's eyes shot over at the mention of her sister. "You was too?"

Daryl didn't know why he was so damn interested. Maybe cause he had never gotten any damn answers from her before.

Ace bit at her cheek, nodding. "Six moms and seven dads," Ace paused. " _Technically_."

Daryl nodded, looking away as he chewed on his lip. He was starting to put together the pieces about her. Once he realized that he was, he stopped. He had to shake it off. Ace glanced at Daryl as he stood up from the bed. "Gonna get more," he grumbled, holding up the plate. He didn't look at Ace as he stepped out of the room.

Ace let out a sigh, sitting back against the bed frame. Her mind was going off again.

Ace picked at the IV in her arm.


	52. Comfort of Closeness

Two more days passed.

They went as horribly as the others had. But they remained a blur in Ace's mind.

She was sick, so horribly ill. Each morning Hershel would come in and deliver her next round of chemo. For a couple hours, she was fine, but fatigue never failed to reach her. She felt weak, very sickly. The treatment was eating away at her. She was in and out of sleep all day, only being woken to eat or go to the bathroom. Going to the bathroom had turned into an embarrassing act. Ace's stomach was extremely messed up from the heavy amounts of treatment. And she always was hyper aware of not ever being alone.

Although Ace slept all day, the nights were more complicated. She tossed and turned, her body aching, and her stomach reeling. She threw up a lot, more so than ever before, which was saying something. Her bones were starting to poke out of her skin and to Ace's dismay, she found that patches of her hair were coming loose as she showered.

A couple members of the group had come tried to see Ace, but she always heard Daryl angrily snapping at them outside the door. Ace was curious what was going on with them, thinking about Randal and Shane. She didn't spare it much thought, she had more important things going on. For once she wasn't overthinking her safety here; the cancer was the most unsafe thing for her.

Hershel had offered to give her some antibiotics to combat her immune system's weakness, but Ace denied. She didn't want them to be wasted on her. Ace felt dead already. Her mind was constantly at war, unable to come to a consensus on if she was actually going to die or not. Or if she could handle another day of this.

But day after day, she did.

Daryl had remained in her room most of the time. Things were better between the two, he wasn't angry at her anymore. But he didn't speak much, barely looked at her. The only thing that ever came out of him were grunts or when he yelled at someone in the group. He was angry and on edge all the time.

He kept sleeping in the chair. Hershel tried to offer him something more comfortable, tried telling him to go back to his tent, but Daryl snapped at him, too. Daryl was hiding in the room, he didn't want to face the group after they've seen him care about Ace.

There was only a few times that Daryl and Ace met eyes, so much intensity coming from those moments that neither could bare to handle it. Neither could bare to try to understand what was going on. Why was Daryl here? Each night, why did he sleep in the chair? Why didn't he go to hunt, or go take a shift on watch? Why did Ace _want_ him here?

Neither of them had the answer. Daryl just kept brining her plates of food, pointing at her to drink her water.

Ace wanted to scream, to lash out, to go run straight off this farm and never return. She wanted to use her body, to walk and hunt. She was useless, and she was tired. She barely ever left the bed and it was only making her depression grow.

It wasn't until the fourth afternoon that she snapped.

Hershel took the IV out from her arm and hung it up, leaving shortly after.

Ace had finally had it, finally grown sick and tired of this.

Daryl was flipping through another book, seeming to have gone through majority of Hershel's small library. At least he had something to entertain himself with. Ace only had her agonizing thoughts.

Ace pushed herself off the bed, gripping onto the IV rack for support as she slid onto her feet. She ignored every ache and pain that came from not using her muscles in days. Also the cancer, obviously.

Ace didn't spare Daryl a look as she shuffled toward the door, hoping that there was some possibility he wouldn't notice.

Of course he did.

"Where ya goin'?"

Ace ignored it, brushing a thin strand of hair out of her face before she continued over to the door. She had her hair wrapped up in a bandana, pretending that maybe if it was tight enough it would hold the hair in place and stop it from falling out.

When Ace grabbed the door knob and opened it, thats when Daryl stood. "Aye," he grumbled at her, holding the door so she couldn't open it anymore to fit.

"For a walk," Ace said quietly.

Daryl shook his head, trying to push her back and shut the door. Ace held her foot out in the way. "I'm going." Ace demanded, still lowly, now looking at Daryl. The eye contact had both of their senses alert.

Daryl grunted, trying again to shut the door on her.

To Daryl's surprise, Ace made a swift movement, pulling her knife out from its sheath. She always kept it on her, even when she was just lying in bed. She may be weak, but she was always on guard. She pointed the knife at Daryl, not closely, but still enough.

He squinted at the knife, then up to her. "Got a thing for puttin' knives at peoples throats now, Mouse?"

His condescending tone had Ace growing angry as he mocked her. Daryl was angry, too. The safest she was gonna be was here in this room.

"S'gonna be in your heart if ya don't let me go," Ace grumbled under her breath. It was funny how the past few weeks, Ace had been sending knives into Daryl's heart without knowing. They held eye contact, both of their faces hard and unmoving. They stayed like this for a moment, until they realized what they must have looked like.

Both of their faces softened, shaking their heads. Daryl let out a snort.

"Get tha' thing outta my face," he swatted Ace's knife down. She let out a soft sigh and pocketed it back in her sheath.

"Fine," Daryl grunted, opening the door back up. He could use some time out of this god damn room. Anything to get out of that chair and back outside. He hated it just as much as Ace did, even more because he wasn't too weak to leave.

Ace walked out in front of him. Every part of her from her head to her toes was filled with a dull, weak ache, but she ignored it. She was used to it now. She knew she wasn't at her full speed, looked like a ghost, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be outside.

Daryl followed behind her as they excited the house. Ace made it down the steps, only having some shortness of breath.

Ace didn't know what her destination was, she just wanted to walk somewhere. But she knew she didn't want to walk to the campsite the group was at, especially when she saw Carol hanging up laundry. This was Ace's one moment of peace outside, like hell she'd spend it getting questioned by the group. So Ace walked in the direction of Daryl's camp, hidden behind that old stone structure. Daryl followed a short distance behind her.

It was a decent walk, for Daryl had tried to get as far away as possible from the group. Ace was thankful for that at this time.

The air was growing colder as each day passed, biting at Ace's skin. She didn't care, it felt good to have some fresh air.

When she got to Daryl's tent, she was out of breath. She stopped by the makeshift campfire that was covered in ash. No one had been over here in days.

Daryl walked past her to his tent, using this time to grab some things. A change of clothes would be nice. Ace didn't understand why he couldn't just have come grabbed them before, why he was acting like he was stuck in her room, too.

Ace sat in the folding chair at his site. The last time she sat here was after Dale had died. Ace's heart pained, but she tried to focus on how good the breeze felt on her face.

Daryl came out of the tent, pushing the flap open so he could get out. He had a couple of things in his hands. He brought out Ace's bag, setting it next to her before walking over to the fire pit. He started to put logs in it. Ace was relieved, this meant they could stay out here for a little while and she didn't have to go back yet. Daryl also could tell that she would start to freeze any minute now. She basically was just bones at this point.

They were silent as Daryl started to get a fire going, both of them feeling a little bit more normal now that they were back at Daryl's site. It felt like before, before Ace's secret was out, before she was trapped in that room. Before all the emotions and thoughts.

Ace couldn't stop herself before she was speaking. Quiet, as always. "You should stay here tonight."

Daryl only glanced up at her before continuing to get the fire started.

Ace didn't know why Daryl didn't sleep here, why he would barely eat or change his clothes. She was the only one that needed to suffer.

"Can't sleep in a chair.." Ace's voice trailed off.

Daryl stood up straight as the logs started to catch, poking at it with a stick to keep it going. Ace let the silence remain for a moment, looking off into the forest. "Daryl," Ace eventually tried again. If Daryl hadn't grown accustomed to how quiet she was, he wouldn't have been able to hear her. But he did. Ace didn't want to push him away, but that was her natural reaction. She went through her cancer alone last time, hell she went through everything alone. As awful as it was, it was all she knew. It was the only thing that made sense.

"Quick yer whinin'," Daryl shot over his shoulder, unfazed, wanting her off his back.

Ace huffed at his reaction and snapped her mouth shut. She squinted at him as he continued to poke at the fire.

It was quiet again. Minutes passed before Daryl huffed, taking a seat on the stump of a tree, near the fire. They both looked into the flames. They sat in silence as the fire crackled. Neither of them realized how fast time was passing or how long they were out there for. They were both just happy to be out of that room. Well, happy might have been an overstatement.

Ace's mind raced as she looked at the flames start to die down. She was surprised that the whole time she was out here she didn't fall sick. The fresh air did her good.

The silence was broken as they heard footsteps approaching, getting them to turn their heads.

T-Dog approached with a plate of grits for dinner. "Ace," T-Dog smiled. "You're up."

Ace didn't smile back, she had forgotten how to do that. But, it was nice to see T-Dog. T-Dog handed her the food, then stepped and handed one to Daryl as well, "Complements of the chef."

Ace took it from him with a thankful nod.

"Heard Rick talking," T-Dog went on. "They're thinking about moving everyone inside the house in a few days. Gettin' brisk out here."

Daryl and Ace shared a glance, but only for a split second.

Ace nodded at T-Dog, forgetting what it was like to hear about what the group was doing. Unfortunately, this news sucked for her. This meant everyone was going to be within feet of her room, probably not going to leave her alone. She wanted to be sick, to die, in peace. Daryl thought the same thing, minus the dying part, forking the food into his mouth with irritation.

T-Dog slapped his hands against his thighs. "Alright, have a good night. Oh- and Hershel was looking for you."

With that he stalked off, leaving Ace and Daryl in silence again. Ace was pleased that T-Dog acted normal, not bringing up her cancer or asking her how she was. She didn't want to think about it, wanted to enjoy her last moments of fresh air, knowing they had to head back inside soon.

Ace finished her food, Daryl already having done so a while ago.

Daryl stood, kicking dirt over the fire to put it out for good. He then stalked over to Ace, picking up her bag and signaling his head in the direction of the house. It was time to go back.

Ace, feeling misery creep back up in her bones, pushed herself up carefully from the chair. Her arms shook as she did. Daryl grabbed her plate from her, Ace mumbling a thank you. Daryl grunted in response and they walked back toward the house.

When they got back in the room, Daryl set Ace's bag down by the bed, eyeing her as she tried to hide the fact that she was severely struggling to catch her breath. Even with this, she was feeling the tiniest bit better, having gotten to leave this room today and return to Daryl's camp.

Daryl retreated back to his chair without a word, not mentioning the brief conversation they had at the camp. He picked up the book he was reading and opened it up, but once again the words didn't stick. He glanced at Ace as she sat back down on the bed, drinking some water. She was still, looking like she didn't know what to do.

Ace jumped a bit, almost grabbing her knife, when Daryl threw something on the bed. It was a book, one he had already finished yesterday. Ace picked it up, Daryl having already diverted his eyes back to his own novel. Ace shifted and sat back against the bed frame, opening the cover. Maybe this would help her get her mind off things, give her some entertainment.

But of course it didn't. After some time passed, she peaked over at Daryl who was shifting in the chair with a grimace on his face. Can't be comfortable.

"I've got space," Ace mumbled tediously, not looking up. The bed was Queen sized, more than enough for Daryl to at least sit down. For a moment, she was waiting for Daryl to snap at her, or just to grunt and ignore her again.

Daryls immediate reaction was to deny, but as he glanced up at the bed, his body could imagine how much more comfortable it was be. The chair handles were poking into his side, pissing him off to no avail. He would be an idiot to pass it up. He had been distancing himself so much from Ace that it never was an option before. But she was offering. And Daryl was getting angry, not being able to find a comfortable position in the chair.

Ace dared to glance up at Daryl, always hesitant to push him. She knew if he was uncomfortable he would turn into a shell of a man, but Ace thought maybe, just maybe she could get through to him. She wanted him near her. "I don't bite," she tried again, sheepishly smiling.

Ace was a bit surprised that Daryl actually stood up and came over. He went to the other side of the bed that Ace wasn't on and sat. He kept as much distance between them as he could, but mimicked her position, sitting up with his back against the bed frame. Ace had to force down the small ghost of a smile on her face.

They just sat like that, both looking down at their books.

Thoughts rolled from Daryl's head into Aces, and vice versa. There was a moment of awkwardness, but eventually they grew comfortable. As comfortable as Ace could be, feeling as shitty as she did.

Time passed as they sat in this comfortable silence, both reading their books.

\----

The bed got him.

Daryl, having barely slept a wink in that chair for the past few nights, could not put up a fight. The mattress had him sinking down in it without him realizing. He was snoring before he knew it.

Ace had fallen asleep, too, book falling off the bed. They laid on their separate sides of the bed, a considerable gap between them.

Daryl snapped awake to the sound of Hershel coming in the room, the door shutting behind him.

It took Daryl a moment to realize where he was, seeing Ace next to him. Once he did, Daryl jumped up from the bed, standing and straightening himself out.

Hershel cleared his throat, pretending that nothing was going on. He just started to get Ace's IV set up, not looking at Daryl.

Daryl's face flushed and he grew uncomfortable having someone walk in on him sleeping in the same bed as Ace. Then, Daryl grew irritated. He grumbled under his breath and pushed past Hershel out of the room to head to the bathroom.

Ace felt a light hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently awake.

As with every morning, Ace's stomach turned and the feeling of agony filled her body and mind. She had grown accustomed to Hershel waking her up, meaning that it was another IV, and another horrifying day. Ace had to swallow down the fear of the needle.

Ace ran a hand over her face and sat up a bit, stretching out her muscles. She had actually slept through the night, that was a first. She figured it was because she got to get outside yesterday. Ace spent a moment looking around for Daryl, wondering where he was. He usually woke before her in the mornings. But Ace had stopped worrying so much about him leaving and not coming back. It seemed like she was now just expecting him to.

As Hershel worked over her, she remembered something. "How's Lori doin'?"

Hershel glanced at her. "Good. Glenn was able to pick her up some pre-natal vitamins."

Ace nodded her head. Good. That was good. "I've been meaning to talk to you about her pregnancy," Ace mumbled, feeling bad for a moment that she had put it off so long. "She's worried about complications. And a C-section."

When Hershel didn't respond, Ace continued. "I have some training. But maybe you could show me some things, too?"

Hershel finished getting her IV set up, letting out a sigh. He put a hand on her shoulder. "We've got lots of time for that," he looked down at her. "For now, we need to worry about _you_."

Ace wanted to groan out loud, but she held it back. Hershel has been doing so much for her, she couldn't dare disagree with him. She just nodded.

Hershel sent her a smile and left the room.

Ace sighed. Maybe that was just his way of not wanting to get Ace's hopes up. Or anyones hopes up. Maybe Hershel didn't expect her to live long enough for any of that.

Ace sunk deeper into her bed.


	53. Trying Not To Die

Ace was eating a plate of eggs when Daryl returned, holding a plate of his own.

Daryl went back to his chair, minding his own business, not daring to look at Ace after how he woke up this morning.

When Ace finished her eggs, she looked around, the IV sore in her arm. She was trying to figure out what to do, craving anything to get her mind away from the misery. Ace reached to the side of the bed, grabbing her bag and pulling it up onto her lap. She bit harshly on the inside of her cheek at the ache it caused her. She started going through her stuff, organizing it. It brought her some sort of comfort, being able to organize something in her life. Back as she had always done, making sure she wasn't caught off her guard in this shit world.

All the pill bottles had been removed and given to Hershel a little while ago. This made Ace's bag feel almost empty, as it was before she met this group and before she met Jenner and Dale. Ace's heart dropped a bit as she remembered Jenner at the CDC and Dale on the farm. She wished Dale was here now. He would definitely be keeping her entertained this entire time.

After taking the few things out of her bag; granola bars, loose ammo, a pocket knife, needle and thread, Ace grabbed onto the file that remained. She thought of Jenner as she pulled it out, opening it up. She didn't know why she was reading it. This sure as hell wasn't going to get her mind off cancer.

She continued anyway, having to squint a bit at the words.

She flipped through the few pages, not really understanding what half of the test results even were showing her. She was dying of cancer, thats all she needed to know. Ace's fingers played at the edge of the sticky notes Jenner had added onto there, his writing messy.

She thought back to Jenner, what he had said to her. She remembered the horrible pain in her bones as he told her there was no way she was going to survive. He said that having cancer during the end of the world made it terminal cancer.

Ace's mind was spiraling. She remembered how after he said that, he changed. He started to push her out, telling her she needed to find a way out, a way to survive. Ace was so confused and panicked that she hadn't really processed his sudden change in demeanor, like he _needed_ her to get out.

Ace forgot where she was, now entranced in her memory of Jenner as she looked at the file. She had gotten busy after the CDC, never really took the chance to look at this again. She never really took the chance to decipher what Jenner had been saying.

Ace read the scribbles at the bottom of the page again.

_TS-20 was tested along with the rest of the subjects, but TS-20's results came up different than the rest._

Ace had now forgotten that she was sitting in the room, that Daryl was in the chair across from her. She was reading Jenner's words with a hastiness, a panic of sorts.

_After combing the sample with the freshest samples of the last reincarnated subject, more information came to attention._

_TS-20 came back positive._

Ace didn't know what it meant. She kept reading it over and over again.

She tried to think, tried to understand. She forced herself to remember when Jenner showed them that video on the big screen. The one of test subject 19 that got infected. She remembered the bullet that slashed through its head.

That meant that someone else was test subject 20.

That meant that Ace was TS-20.

Ace could sense Daryl standing up, getting her to quickly shut the file, hiding its contents. She didn't know why she was hiding them.

Daryl squinted at her.

Ace looked at him but he could tell that she wasn't paying attention. She was completely distracted, only thinking about what the things Jenner wrote could mean. Daryl kept eyeing her as he grabbed her plate off the bed side table. Ace watched his back as he left the room, going to take the dishes to the kitchen.

When he left, Ace shoved the file back into her bag, tossing it back on the ground. She wanted to rid herself of it, rid herself of the confusion she had over it. But she couldn't, she kept repeating what it said in her head. Test subject 20 came up positive. TS-20 was positive.

Ace was staring ahead blankly, completely lost in her head.

She tried to remember. The test subject 19, the one that Jenner showed on the screen, he had said that person was positive too.

Positive for what?

Cancer?

No, that couldn't make sense. Jenner had already confirmed she had cancer, he wouldn't state it like that.

What was it that Ace had in common with test subject 19? What was it that they both came back positive for?

\---

After a couple hours, Hershel came back to take Ace's IV out. Ace could have done it herself, done all of it herself, but Hershel still played doctor with her everyday. She thought maybe he enjoyed having something to do and something to think about besides the end of the world.

Too bad all of this made Ace only think of the end more.

But Ace had grown anxious waiting for Hershel, excited when he finally came in the room to end the round of treatment. Now that she went outside yesterday, she felt like maybe she could go back out again. She was impatient waiting for him to come back so she could have the chance to leave this room.

Daryl felt the same. Now knowing that Ace could survive a trip outside, he wasn't going to stop it. Hell, he would kill to get out of here, too.

Ace felt the breeze as Hershel shut the door. She was cold.

The seasons were starting to change, a brisk winter looming over them. Ace wasn't prepared, never having gotten the chance to go on a run for more clothes like her and Daryl had briefly discussed. But maybe Ace didn't need to get prepared. Maybe she wouldn't make it out of this room alive. Maybe that wasn't something she needed to worry about.

Ace itched at her arm where the IV was, feeling like complete shit.

She then reached up to scratch at her head, the hairs that were falling loose tickled her skin. Ace's head felt tender. She had noticed that she was leaving some hair behind on the pillows when she woke up. In the shower, there was always clumps of her hair in the drain.

Ace had lost her hair when she went through chemo last time. But it didn't happen this fast. It took a couple weeks after starting the treatment. But maybe since Hershel was doubling the treatment, it had accelerated that. Or maybe her body was just reacting in a different way.

Ace didn't want to lose her hair, didn't want to have cancer leave its mark on her in such a visible way. Her hair was a shield in many ways, one she could hide behind, find warmth and comfort in. But at the same time, the part of Ace that was good at adapting and surviving thought stupid things. She thought maybe it was a good thing to survive. Long hair was something a walker to grab onto, making her weak.

Its not like Ace really had a chance of surviving and getting outside again though. She doubted she would be in a situation where she had to worry about that again.

Daryl noticed the deep frown on her face as she scooted to the edge of the bed.

"Gonna shower," Ace mumbled, feeling like she had to let him know what she was doing. She was always too fatigued in the mornings and during her treatment to get up and practice normal hygiene. It took her to later in the day to will up the motivation to go upstairs and brush her teeth.

Daryl stood, about to attempt to follow her and make sure she made it up the stairs without falling.

"I got it," Ace almost snapped, leaving the room. She didn't want help. It was obvious to tell she was irritated about something.

Ace slowly made her way up the stairs, her breath leaving her, making it hard. Her head spun a bit but she pushed through it. When she made it to the bathroom, she locked the door and grabbed a towel from under the sink. She sat it on the top of the toilet seat and turned on the shower. Unfortunately, there was no hot water.

A deep shiver went through her bones as she got into the shower. Her teeth were chattering, but she didn't rush, even if she could have.

She thought about Jenner again and the file he gave her. She was so distracted by this thought.

She was distracted until she ran her hands through her hair, feeling wet clumps stick in between her fingers. Ace felt sick as she looked down at her hands, covered in hair. Almost frantically she started to rub it off, hating it. Before this, her hair was thin from the previous treatment. There wasn't much that had to fall out now.

Ace got out of the shower, feeling lower than she ever had before.

She didn't dare look at herself in the mirror. Not a chance. She felt how terrible she must've looked from the outside. Cancer had left its mark on her for the second time. Her life was gone. There was no sign of it in her eyes, no feeling of it in her mind.

Ace got dressed, having to hold one hand on the sink so she didn't fall over. Her body was shivering harshly the entire time.

She tried to hold up a strong demeanor as she walked back downstairs, even though she felt the opposite. Her hands were squeezed in fists as she walked back in the room, trying to warm her icy fingers. Ace kept her head down as she walked back over to her bed. Daryl looked up at her from his seat as she came back.

Ace had braced her body for Daryl to say something, to comment on her hair loss. To comment on anything or everything that was wrong with her. But he didn't. He had noticed recently, of course he had. But he didn't think anything of it, it didn't make him see Ace any different.

Ace sat on the edge of the bed. As much as her body ached to lay down and fall asleep, she wasn't going to waste her chance to go outside. She reached down and started to put her boots on, tying them up.

Daryl got the idea and stood, grabbing his crossbow and putting it on his back. Daryl waited for Ace, watching her as he did. He noticed the shiver that was going through her. He saw that her lips were a purple color, everything else pale. Daryl thought for a second but then held out a hand towards Ace, signaling her to stay there as he left the room.

Ace finished putting on her shoes and sat up straight, waiting with curiosity to where Daryl went.

Daryl returned a couple minutes later, clutching fabric in his fist. It was a hat. A jacket was draped over his arm too. They held eye contact as Daryl walked up to her, standing in front of her where she sat on the bed. She looked up at him as he lifted the hat. It was a dark blue colored beanie.

An intensity fell over them as Daryl moved closer to her, hesitation in his step. Ace looked directly at Daryl as he took the hat and started sliding it on her head. He tried to be gentle, but his movements always had a roughness to them by nature. Daryl pushed on the hat, fixing it so it was straight. He pulled down the sides to cover the top of her ears. The simple embrace, the simple action, held so much more. It was as if no one else existed on this world but them, for Ace was lost in the moment.

Ace's could feel her heart beating as Daryl finally met her eyes.

The act of the hat was one that held so much more. He was making sure she was warm, knowing she wouldn't ask or show that she was freezing. She never wanted to let it show. But it was also Daryl's way of addressing her head that was becoming void of hair. His way of showing that he didn't see her different. The only thing it meant to him was that she was going to be cold. But he could see she was irritated about it, see that it was beating down on her, just like this whole experience had been.

Daryl's hands fell down from Ace's head. He stood there awkwardly as they looked at each other.

Ace wanted to say something, anything, about the emotions that swelled through her. She looked at Daryl with wide eyes that were so soft it made Daryl pull back. He quickly looked away and numbly shoved the jacket in Ace's direction. 

Ace knew from that she shouldn't say or do anything, Daryl still entirely uncomfortable with expressing anything towards her. But Ace didn't shut her emotions out this time, not after all Daryl has done for her. She would give Daryl the time he needed out of hope that he would come around to her.

Ace grabbed the jacket from him and slid it on. It was warm. Her body clung onto it. It was an extra of Daryl's.

In silence they exited the room together, heading outside. There was something flowing between them as they walked next to each other.

The thing with Daryl and Ace was that they didn't need to speak for things to be communicated. They didn't need to address anything, they just knew. This was a good thing, for neither of them were one to really talk. Maybe it was even the main reason Daryl has stuck by her side, or vice versa. Daryl had never had much in the way of friends, only ever Merle. Maybe Ace was his friend, maybe she was something different, but not having to talk about it brought comfort to Daryl. He had never done anything like this before. He was glad Ace never brought it up.

They headed back to Daryl's campsite, both assuming it was their only place to go. And it was _their_ place. Where they were left alone, where they felt a shred of normality during this fucked up time. But today, Rick caught sight of them and jogged over, holding his hand up to flag them down as he came. Ace and Daryl stopped, only turning halfway to look back at Rick as he approached them. He sent Daryl a nod, then looked at Ace.

"Ace," Rick said, obviously forcing himself to sound as normal as possible. Ace's hand subconsciously went up and pulled her hat down a little more, seeing Rick look at her in that same way the rest of the group did. _Sick_. Cancer had left its mark on her and Rick was blatantly shocked to see Ace without her hair. Daryl noticed Rick looking at her, noticed Ace shying away. His natural instinct had him taking a step towards Rick, slightly in front of Ace. He wasn't sure why he did, he didn't even think about it. His body just did it. Ace hadn't really realized either, but it gave her a place to hide behind, in a way.

Daryl's movements also had Rick diverting his eyes, diverting his worry. Rick wasn't blind to the dynamic those two had and he was not about to get in the middle of it.

"How are you feeling?" Rick questioned Ace.

Ace shrugged, feeling that her lack of hair and sickly frame answered that well enough. Rick could get the idea.

When Ace didn't respond, Rick looked to Daryl. Rick thought about saying something about what happened with Carol, Lori had been pushing him to do so. But he had sent Daryl to talk to Ace about it a couple days ago. Rick trusted Daryl, figured that it was better off he dealt with it. Anyway, Rick knew the wrath Daryl would bring down on him if he brought the Carol situation up. As long as Daryl and Ace were together, Rick wasn't worried about something happening again.

"We're looking to move everyone in the house soon," Rick brought up, looking between the two. "Going to give Hershel a few more days of peace, then start packing our stuff up. Try to figure out what to do with Randal before then."

He would be giving Daryl and Ace a few more days of peace too, not just Hershel.

The thought of Randal sparked in Ace's mind, having been forgetful of that situation. The only thing she had been thinking about was that in some indirect way, Randal led to Dale's death. Dale was the only one she could think about.

Ace wondered what their ideas were to do with Randal, neither death or driving him away had worked. But a part of her didn't care. This group was broken, like Dale had said before. Ace wasn't going to think about their missing pieces, they could figure it out themselves. They had to. She was broken enough herself as it is.

Daryl nodded to Rick, not really wanting to deal with the Randal kid, either. He worried for the group, knowin' they had a tendency to run around like headless chickens. But his mind was occupied. It wasn't his problem.

"Hershel said you only had a few more days left," Rick changed the subject, signaling to Ace. He realized those words sounded bad. "Of treatment," he corrected himself.

Ace nodded, but then realized that he was right. She only had a few more days left. That should have sparked relief in her, but instead it had her stomach dropping. Hershel was going to operate on her when the chemo was done. If Ace survived these next few days, the surgery would definitely be the thing, if any, to kill her.

Daryl tensed, having a similar thought. He had tried not thinking about that.

Rick noticed the tension and felt as if he overstepped. He wasn't exactly sure how to handle this situation. He tried changing the subject once more.

"Could use your help on watch," Rick said to Daryl. They had boarded up one of the windmills, giving them high ground to look out for walkers. Everyone had been taking shifts. Well, except for Carol. "Need all the eyes we can get. I think the cold weather is slowing the walkers down, but they're still out there."

Daryl sent a curt nod. "In a couple'a days."

Rick didn't push. If Daryl was going to sit around and watch, he'd rather sit around with Ace. Wasn't a chance in hell he would think about messin' around with the group until he knew Ace was good. Especially not when she was about to get cut open.

Thankfully this was all Rick had to say, sending a nod to them and then going on his way. Daryl and Ace started heading over to the camp again. Daryl had to slow down to keep up with Ace, but even then he was still ahead of her.

Daryl got a fire started again before sitting on the nearby log while Ace took her seat on the folding chair. She was freezing, but did what she could to not show it. She covered her hands in the jacket and fidgeted with the hat to cover more of her ears.

As always, both of them sat in silence, trying to enjoy the fresh air and outdoors.

The silence was comfortable for once, both off in their own heads. They were both thinking about that moment they just had, the action of Daryl putting the hat on her. Daryl cursed himself for doing it, for getting closer to this girl. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't block her out and it pissed him off.

They also both were thinking of what was to come.

Ace shook at the thought of Hershel doing a procedure on her. Ace had no hope that it would be okay. No hope that it would be successful. Hershel's never done this shit before. Hell, they've been guessing at her treatment so far, who knows if it's even working.

Something would go wrong. Something always went wrong.

Ace was starting to feel sick, but held it back. She looked off into the flames, willing herself to think about anything else. The only thing that could come to her head was Jenner and that file. She ran it through her head a few times. She couldn't forget those words. She almost wished she could look at the file again, but there was no point. She memorized it.

She was lost as she tried to decode it. She was attempting to make sense of it, put herself back in the CDC to relive it.

_TS-20 came back positive._

Ace felt weird thinking of herself as a test subject, but she knew that was what Jenner was referring to her as. It was stamped all over her file, too. She couldn't argue with that.

If she was TS-20, then TS-19 was the one Jenner showed them on the screen.

What did they have in common? What were they both positive for?

Ace started to think that maybe she would never know. She didn't have enough information on who TS-19 was or the life that person lived. All she knew was that TS-19 had gotten bitten and turned. Thats what Jenner showed the group. 

Ace tensed.

She heard the fire crackle but wasn't really seeing it anymore. She was looking through it, thinking too hard. Ace felt herself become nauseous, her body racked with tension. TS-19 was bitten. TS-19 was infected.

Based on the information Ace had about that test subject, there was only one thing she could think of that they could have in common.

They were both infected.

No. Ace shook her head. No, that was stupid.

But there was something in her gut that screamed at her. That was the only thing it could be, the only thing she could decode from the information Jenner had given her. Thats the only reason he would have tried to get her out of there. The only reason why her getting out was important.

Ace felt sick. Like _sick_ sick.

Ace made a fast movement to push herself up out of the chair and go behind the stone structure. She held a hand out on it to balance herself as she threw up, the other hand gripping at her stomach.

Daryl jolted, having no warning that she was about to get sick.

Ace got it all out, starting to cough and gag near the end. Daryl stood by the fire, giving them both some space. When Ace finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She tried to kick up some dirt to cover her vile, but the action had her losing her balance for a moment.

Daryl put out what was left of the fire and grabbed his crossbow as he came over to her. "C'mon," he grumbled, trying to lead her back to the house. The girl needed to be in bed. Ace was bummed that she ruined her time outside, but wasn't going to argue. She needed to lie down.

Daryl handed Ace some water to wash her mouth out with as they walked slowly back to the house. Ace did so and then took a couple of drinks, banishing all the thoughts from her head. They were too stupid. If Ace was infected, she would have died a long time ago. She was never bitten. Jenner was an unstable guy. Stupid. Ace was just feeding for any sort of thing to entertain her. She was smarter than this.

When they got back to the house, Ace went straight for the bed. She practically kicked her shoes off and collapsed. Daryl stood around for a second and Ace could tell he was obviously thinking. She waited for him to get on with it.

"Gonna take a shower," he mumbled. It seemed like he was almost checking with her if that was fine, if Ace was fine enough for him to step out. Ace tried not to roll her eyes, she appreciated it.

"I'll try not to die," Ace said quietly, barely attempting at sarcasm.

Daryl knew she was joking, but sent her a glare. _Not funny_.

Ace raised her hands up, accepting defeat and signaling she was joking.

Daryl shook his head and stalked out of the room. Ace sighed and let her hands flap down onto the bed. She sat there for a moment, her thoughts almost getting the best of her, but she shook them off. Nope, not happening.

Ace reached for the book Daryl gave her that was on the bedside table. She was exhausted, but didn't want to sleep. She didn't want it to be another day closer to surgery, even if it meant another day closer to being done with chemo.

Ace itched under her hat, but left it on as she started to flip to her spot in the book. She got a couple pages in before there was a light knock on the door. Maggie peaked her head in, holding up a mug as a peace offering.

Ace set her book down, this was the first visitor that had come to her room besides Hershel and Daryl in a few days now. Daryl had scared them all off.

Normally Ace's mind would be running, but she had shut it up just minutes prior. She was too tired to deal with herself. Maggie quietly closed the door behind her and almost tip toed over to Ace's bed. "Iced tea," Maggie said, handing Ace a mug. Ace hesitated a second, but gladly took it. She hadn't had iced tea in... forever. Maybe it would help settle her stomach.

"Did you hear what Daryl said? That he'd 'string up anyone who came near here'," Maggie said with humor in her voice, lightly mocking him.

Ace snorted dryly, she had heard. She never questioned it though, she was partially thankful and partially smart enough not to.

"Better make it quick before he comes back," Maggie laughed.

It must be the end of the world because Ace might have actually been enjoying Maggie's company. Maggie didn't say anything about Ace's condition or how she looked. She probably had gotten the scoop from her father, but still. It was almost refreshing.

"It must be nice that he is here, though," Maggie sat down on the arm of the chair, drinking from a mug of her own. "Have someone that cares about you." Maggie almost said that to herself, thinking about the situation with her and Glenn.

But her words had Ace halting mid-sip. Once again, Ace became terrified if maybe Daryl was nearby and over hearing. Daryl would be so pissed of at her if Ace spoke of him. Or maybe he would be able to just tell Ace was thinking about it and then he would get spooked and run off. But the dilemma with Daryl had been bothering Ace for so long, she almost craved to speak to someone about it. It was unusual for her, but she had never met someone like Daryl before. Ace could use some answers on what the hell to do.

But, Ace still stayed quiet. It wasn't her place to discuss Daryl with someone else. She wasn't ready to do that yet. Ace really had no clue what Daryl wanted. Its possible he just thought they were friends and this is how he treated a friend. Ace didn't want to overstep with assuming more. She also didn't want to get her hopes up, especially not before the impending doom of her surgery.

"Well, I better go before he gets back," Maggie stood up. "I can bring you more tomorrow."

Maggie almost asked the last part, kind of testing if Ace would even want that. Maggie wasn't very fond of Lori or Andrea, and Ace was the only one similar to her age. What Ace had done to Carol had grown on Maggie, she was on Ace's side, liked that she stood up to the woman.

Ace nodded, not minding if Maggie came back. It was nice to have someone that could talk about something besides her cancer. Especially when Daryl barely spoke any words to her.

Maggie grabbed Ace's mug and slipped back out of the room. Although she had taken Ace's mind off her cancer, she had put it right onto Daryl. Ace just wished she could shut her head up sometimes.

Ace tried to go back to reading her book, but she was having a hard time. She was flipping Daryl over in her head. She knew Daryl cared about her, but still wanted to know what was going on in his head. Why would he stay with her if they were just friends? Just because she told him to?

Ace just wanted things to be normal.

When Daryl came back, he was eating a granola bar, immediately glancing over to Ace to make sure she hadn't fallen into pieces while he was gone. He just saw her reading her book.

It was quiet between them as Daryl grabbed his book. He hesitated for a moment, but went back to that spot on the opposite side of the bed from Ace. He told himself that this time he wouldn't fall asleep, wouldn't be as stupid as he was before.

Ace didn't look up as he sat on the bed, satisfied enough that he came back to sit near her. Daryl leaned his back against the headboard and his crossbow against the side of the bed. Just like the night before, they sat there in silence, both reading their books. But between each sentence, Ace couldn't help thinking about the man that sat at her side. It seemed that Daryl was doing the same.


	54. Game of Cards

It was Ace's second to last day of the treatment. The routine for the morning was the same, always deathly similar. Ace had to think if she was actually experiencing different days or if she was stuck in some kind of evil time loop, repeating the same one over and over again.

Hershel was the same, the food was the same, Daryl was the same. No difference. Just agony.

Although, it did seem each day Ace was experiencing another side effect of the chemo. First the night sickness, the stomach aches, the hair loss, and now her skin was peeling and becoming more sensitive. Her shoes would rip at the skin surrounding her feet, no matter how many pairs of socks she was wearing. She would bruise even if she looked at herself wrong. Her fingernails looked darker and would break more easily.

But, to Ace's relief, something actually different did end up happening that day.

Her and Daryl were still in silence, reading their books as Ace was trying to keep herself awake. Her body was aching in exhaustion, the words on the pages only making her more tired. That is until she heard a knock on the door and a small frame appeared in the doorway.

With the sheriff's hat that was still much too big on him, Carl walked into the room with a deck of cards in his hands.

Daryl stood and Ace could tell he was about to say something to the kid to get him to leave, but Ace held her hand out.

"Hey," Carl said, pushing his hat up.

"Hey," Ace responded, setting her book down. She hadn't spoken to Carl in a while, not since that one day after Sophia died. Carl was becoming darker, like this world made him, but as he stood in her room she recognized the child-like resemblance in his stance.

"My dad said not to bother you, but when I was stuck in here you came to play cards with me," Carl held up the deck of cards now, proudly. Ace didn't have the energy to smile, but her face sure did light up a bit.

"So you came in here to beat me again?" Ace teased, her voice quiet, but not as miserable as it had been.

Carl smiled, "I'll go easy on you."

Ace sat up, signaling for Carl to come over and join her. He sat on the edge of the bed across from Ace and started to pull out the cards. Carl glanced to Daryl, "Want to play?"

Daryl shook his head and grunted, going to sit back down in the chair. Carl shrugged it off as Daryl started to read his book again. He wouldn't admit it, but he was stealing glances up at them the whole time.

Ace was feeling better as she played cards with Carl. For a moment, she would get sad, him reminding her of when they used to play with Sophia. Or how if anything happened to her, she would miss not being able to play with Carl. But Ace wouldn't show that on her face, not to Carl. Hell, he didn't show her any looks, not paying too much mind to the IV in Ace's arm or the hat on her head to hide her baldness. Carl didn't care.

They got through a few games, Carl grinning as he was ahead of Ace. Ace, of course, always let him win, but never by enough for him to notice. They were in the middle of the next round when Carl spoke. "My dad said you are getting surgery soon," Carl didn't look up from the cards, but Ace gulped. "Are you scared?"

Ace glanced up, meeting eyes with Daryl for a second, before looking to Carl.

Carl wasn't that young, but he still didn't have the same filter that had him tip-toeing on eggshells around Ace like the rest of the group. Thats what Ace liked, for it was easy to communicate with kids. It was also super hard to lie to them. Ace knows that the best people to tell the truth to are the younger ones. They almost understand better, in a way.

"Yeah," Ace said quietly, looking at Carl. Daryl looked at Ace as she said this, it only being something she would ever say to Carl, not being able to lie to him.

"I was scared when I got shot, too," Carl kept playing as he talked, this not taking nearly as heavy as a toll on him as it did Ace. "But my mom says its okay to be scared."

Ace sent Carl a small, sad smile.

"Its your turn," Carl pointed at the cards, obviously having a move he was waiting to pull on Ace so he could win. Ace shook her head at him and played.

"Ha!" Carl laughed as he placed his winning card down.

"I thought you were going to take it easy on me?" Ace exclaimed.

Carl laughed.

The two were distracted when there was a knock on the door again and it creaked open. Lori poked her head through. She smiled at Ace before looking over to her soon scoldingly. "Carl, what are you doing in here? Come on, help me with supper."

Carl sighed and set his cards down, pushing himself off the bed. "Play you again later?" He asked Ace. Ace nodded, giving Carl something to look forward to as he went off to do chores. Lori mouthed an apology to Ace, barely being able to look at her, but Ace waved it off.

It was quiet again once they left and Ace chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Wanna?" Was all Ace asked, barely glancing up to Daryl. He spared her a look over his book that he obviously wasn't paying attention to. Daryl looked down at the cards. "Its already set up." Ace shrugged.

A moment passed where Daryl was thinking, but then gave up. He stood with a sigh and came over, sitting where Carl was on the edge of the bed across from Ace.

"Don't know how'ta play," Daryl mumbled, biting on his thumb.

Ace started dealing out new cards as she explained to him the rules. Daryl was trying to focus as much as he could, his eyes squinting as he watched her frail hands point at things. She would keep bringing up a new rule, then remember something else and start babbling all side-tracked. Daryl's face scrunched as he tried to follow her.

It took Daryl a round or two to catch on, and then he was putting up stiff competition to Ace. Whenever Ace won a round, Daryl won the next, and so on. Neither of them could gain the lead on each other, so they kept on playing.

Neither of them realized how long they had been there for, not until Hershel brought them some dinner.

Hershel checked Ace's vitals and was on his way, leaving them to eat.

Daryl and Ace had stopped playing but remained where they were sitting, eating their food in silence.

When they finished, the both sat there a little timidly. They realized they must have been playing for hours, almost wasting the entire day. They both internally questioned if they should keep playing or go back to their books, the silence between them making it feel like they should retreat into themselves. Neither knew what to do.

A moment passed.

Daryl huffed, giving in. "Again?" He pointed down to the cards.

Ace didn't know why, but it made her laugh. Both of them knew they should probably do something else since they have been playing for hours, but Ace found it funny how addicted they were to the game. So she laughed.

Laughed.

Daryl was almost taken aback, having seen nothing but misery on the girls face for weeks. Nothing but thoughts and anger and pain. He had almost forgotten that people were still capable of laughing. In return, it made a small smirk take over his face.

He grabbed for the cards. "Wha'? Can't have ya braggin' that ya beat me," Daryl tried to play it off. Daryl dealt another round while Ace set her plate down, sitting up a bit.

And then for the rest of the night, the played cards. It felt like they were in their own little bubble in their own universe. There was no one else awake on the farm, just them in the room that was lit by a soft yellow light as they played peacefully.

For once, Ace felt okay. For once she was having a good time, almost as if her cancer didn't exist.


	55. Impending Doom

Ace woke to Hershel shaking her awake.

She rubbed her eyes, looking around. She must've fallen asleep sometime during playing cards, she didn't really remember. They had taken a break once Ace started yawning, just talking a bit. Ace glanced at the edge of the bed. Daryl was asleep, laying horizontally along the foot of the bed with his head resting on the arm behind his head.

Ace was distracted looking at him until Hershel handed her a plate of eggs. Ace shook her head and looked back to Hershel as she took the food. He was quiet to not wake Daryl as he started to get the IV set up.

"Last one," Hershel whispered to Ace as he poked her vein with the needle.

Ace gulped. Whatever bliss she was living in yesterday rushed out of her, realization setting in. She didn't respond to Hershel. He mentioned that he'd come back later, when Daryl was awake, to discuss plans for the procedure.

Tension lined Ace's bones as Hershel left. She was frozen, looking down at her plate of eggs. She felt like she sat like this forever.

Last one.

"Got some for me?" Daryl grumbled as he woke up, catching Ace's attention.

Ace looked up as Daryl pushed himself into a sitting position. Not feeling very hungry, full of impending doom, Ace handed him her plate.

Daryl squinted at her but took it, only eating off one side to save her some. He kept glancing over to Ace as he ate, seeing her stare off into the distance. It was all too obvious something was eating away at her. And Daryl knew what. He was trying to stop it from eating away at him, too.

There was a tension hanging around Ace as she spoke, not looking away from her stare into the distance. "What would ya do if it was your last day?" She said in almost a whisper.

Daryl looked at her, his face hard. At first he had no response, trying to settle the anger inside of him. He knew that Ace was going to get cut open tomorrow and he knew that she was almost certain she wouldn't survive it. Daryl, wasn't sure if she would, either. But that is not something he was capable of admitting to himself.

Daryl then struggled with what to say, looking down at the food he was also no longer hungry for.

But he couldn't think of what to say. There was nothing. Instead, he shifted to set down the plate of eggs and stood up, grabbing his crossbow. "Stay here," he demanded before walking out of the room without another word. Ace was confused, but was too zoned out to pay it much thought.

She continued to stare ahead, out the window. She looked at the group busy around on the campsite. She looked at them, as miserable as they were, full of life. Rick ruffled Carl's hair, T-Dog smiled at Lori as he cooked on the mini grill, Glenn had google-y eyes for Maggie. Ace noticed the bad things, like how Shane paced with anger, Lori looking at him with pain, and then Rick looking at Lori with distaste.

Even the bad stuff, even the stuff Ace used to spend so much time overthinking and reading into, was still good. At least they were able to have problems, arguments, and all the things that encapsulated having a life. Ace wouldn't have that any more.

Even though the world had ended and everyone she had known in her past life was now probably among the undead, Ace still felt despair at the thought of dying on this bed. Even in a world so cruel, Ace's bones were aching at the thought of death. And it was no longer a thought, it was a reality.

Ace was then a little surprised to see Daryl appear outside, chatting with Rick and then Hershel. T-Dog even came over. She squinted in confusion. For a moment, she thought that maybe he was trying to find his place back in the group, for tomorrow his place at Ace's side would be lost when she died.

Ace's head bowed. She sat there for a moment and then reached down, grabbing her bag from below the bed, wincing as she did.

She took the file from Jenner and moved it out of the way. That didn't matter anymore. She moved the granola bars, the ammo, the knives. None of that she would need anymore.

Ace reached into the bottom, grabbing onto the corner of paper that rubbed against her hand. She unfolded it in her lap, looking sadly upon the drawing Sophia had made her. She ran her finger on it, only for a moment, before folding it back up and tucking it inside.

She reached in again to grab what she had been looking for all along. It was a wallet sized photo of her little sister, Frankie. It was her school picture from kindergarten. Ace looked at the photo, smiling sadly at it. Her sister was so young, so full of energetic youth. Ace remembered when she got the photo, remembered how she picked out the outfit Frankie was wearing in it. They didn't have very nice clothes, but Ace had done her best to find something her baby sister smiled at.

Ace remembered a lot about Frankie as she looked at the photo, stuff that she had pushed down for a long time. Ace pondered Frankie for a moment, pondered how long she had been without her. How old would she be now? 6? 7? Ace had lost track of the days.

Ace took one last glance at her younger sibling and then sighed, pushing herself up so she could stuff the photo into her pocket. Ace put the rest of her things neatly back into the bag and returned it to the ground.

Ace went to itch her head under the hat she still wore, but ended up rubbing her hands over her face. She felt how strongly her bones poked at her hands and closed her eyes. What would she do on her last day? What _could_ she do?

Before Ace could answer her own question, Daryl was coming back into the room. He went straight over to the IV rack Ace was hooked up to, grabbing it. "C'mon," he signaled with his head, looking at her.

Ace opened her mouth to ask what was happening, but she shut it soon after. She didn't really care, all that mattered to her was getting out of this room. Ace slid on her boots and stood up, looking at Daryl. When she was ready, Daryl lifted the IV rack and led her out of the room.

Ace was curious to where they were going, curious to what Daryl had up his sleeve.

Daryl led her to the back of the house, into a room Ace had never been to before. He walked inside and Ace's eyes immediately started darting around. It was what seemed to be an office, probably Hershel's. There was a desk with papers and books scattered all around it. Photographs and veterinarian textbooks lined a shelving unit against the same wall, hugged by a tall lamp that sat in the corner collecting dust.

There was a book shelf, one that was very unorganized, filled with an organized clutter of knowledge. Medical books, novels, all types. And then Ace looked at Daryl who was standing in front of a small couch on the opposite wall. There was something sitting on the couch.

Daryl set the IV rack down and went over, picking up the electronic device. It was a DVD player.

"Battery powered," Daryl grumbled, holding it up to her. "Hershel was savin' the batteries for somethin' important. Told him this was it."

Ace must have looked dumbfounded. A DVD player? She had forgotten what a movie was. But then, Ace's face creased in a frown. This was not important for Hershel to waste batteries on. They could use those batteries for flashlights or for really anything more important than a dying girl.

Ace started to object. "No-"

Daryl stopped her. "Nuh-uh," he shut her down. "Don't even try."

Ace glared at him but he ignored it. He moved to pull up the desk chair and spin it so it was facing the couch. He placed the DVD player onto it so it faced the couch as well. He turned it on.

It was so weird for Ace to see an electronic device working, that was something she had given up on the second the world went to shit. Daryl then took a step over to Ace, holding out two movies, nudging her to pick one.

Ace looked to him, then down at the DVDs in her hand. She froze. Would any movie get her mind off the fact that she was going to die tomorrow? Ace stood there and looked at her choices. She felt weakness in her bones, partly from the chemo and partly because she was trying to hold down every upset feeling she had. She gulped and pointed at the one in Daryl's right hand.

Satisfied, Daryl turned and put the movie into the player.

Ace numbly went to sit on the couch. After the movie started to play, Daryl sat on the opposite side, a considerable gap between them. At first, Ace felt weird. She could tell Daryl did too as he bit at his thumb, not daring to look from the screen to Ace.

It was weird to watch a movie. Weird to sit on a couch and do something normal. Especially with Daryl. It felt as if they weren't on the farm or in the apocalypse or dying of cancer. Instead, it was like they were sitting at home, watching a movie together. It was strange.

But then at some point Ace's mind betrayed her and became interested in the film. Ace realized that a movie was probably the best idea of any to get her mind off of what was coming tomorrow. It didn't erase the thought of everything, but it sure was a good idea. And it was Daryl's idea.

Nearing the end of the film, there was a knock on the door.

Ace expected Daryl to snap at whoever it was, but he sat up, almost as if he knew it was coming.

In walked Carl, holding a napkin in his hands. He walked up to Ace and handed it to her. She looked and saw a few chocolate chip cookies in his hands. Was this Daryl's idea, too?

"I thought only the winner got cookies?" Ace asked quietly, taking hem from Carl, referring to their game yesterday and the deal they had made a while back.

Carl smiled. "Next time you owe me double."

Ace sent him a smile, thanking him. Her bones ached with grief at the idea of there not being a next time, but she shook it off. Carl peaked over to the screen, obviously wanting to stay and watch, but he didn't. "Daryl said I can borrow that after you," Carl was obviously trying to be as patient as he could, overly excited to watch TV.

Daryl grunted. "I'll bring it over later."

Carl pumped his fist in excitement and the left, running off to go tell his mom about all the movies he was going to watch.

Ace looked down at the cookies in her hand, and then over to Daryl. He kept his eyes on the film.

So this was his idea, too.

Ace almost felt guilty, but the thankful part of her had her handing Daryl one of the cookies, now keeping her eyes on the film as well. It took him a second, but he grabbed it from her.

They finished the movie, eating the sweet dessert they had both missed the taste of. When the movie was over and the credits started to roll, Ace felt that the silence was overpowering. That everything she was thinking and feeling was overpowering. Luckily, Daryl got up and put the next movie in.

Thats how they spent majority of their day. Pretending everything was normal, actually being able to enjoy a movie. It was a relief to Ace, but she felt misery poking at her back. At any moment it might stab through.

But that misery didn't fully come. Daryl had been keeping her busy, giving her that last day she spoke of. It seemed that maybe he was keeping himself busy from the idea of tomorrow as well. They sat in a strangely peaceful silence for most of the day, watching movies. About halfway through the third film, there was noise that could be heard outside. Daryl leaned forward and paused the movie.

He stood, grabbing his crossbow. "Lets go."

Ace didn't question him, only stood with curiosity at what else he could have planned.

Hershel had came in about an hour ago and removed her IV so Ace followed after Daryl freely, leaving the rack in the office. Daryl led her to the kitchen where pretty much everyone in the group was gathered making supper. Ace retreated inwardly, now starting to question Daryl's plan. She wasn't in the mood to face everyone. What was this, one big goodbye?

Ace played with the hat on her head, pulling it down over her ears to hide.

T-Dog sent Ace a wave and a smile, coming over. He held two bowls. "I made some chili," he smiled at her. "Meatless, but still chili."

He handed a plate to Ace and Daryl. Chili was a fancy meal... Ace gulped, this was her 'last meal.' T-Dog must've tried to cook something nice. Ace wanted to scream.

"Thank you," Ace mumbled quietly to him.

"I'll save you some leftovers for tomorrow," T-Dog smiled and then walked off, back to the kitchen. That was his way of implying that Ace would be fine, that she would live to have leftovers for dinner tomorrow.

Ace suddenly felt overwhelmed.

She was in a daze as Maggie came up, handing her more iced tea. Maggie sent her an encouraging smile, but Ace was too lost in her head to hear what she had to say. All she heard was Daryl grumbling and then signaling his head to Ace for her follow him again. Luckily his plan was not to have her stay here and eat with the rest of the group. The chili, yeah, but not the pressure of all the headless chickens.

They carried their food over to Daryl's campsite, Ace's mind running in a thousand different directions. She hadn't even realized they had already made it when they did. She wasn't paying attention at all. They sat down in their same spots as always at the site. Daryl started a fire up and then sat back, starting to eat his chili.

Ace did the same.

It was nice. Or at least it would be nice if Ace could stop the never ending craze of depressed thoughts beating down at her.

The chili was good, really good. Ace savored every bite as if it was her last meal.

When she finished, Ace set her bowl down. She sipped on the ice tea slowly to not encourage her stomach to revolt. Chili and chocolate chip cookies were a risky meal for her sensitive stomach. Luckily, they were both staying down so far.

Her and Daryl sat in silence as the fire crackled.

After a while passed of Ace battling her thoughts, she sat up. She dug inside the pocket of her jeans, sliding the picture of her sister out. Daryl was watching her as she leaned forward. She handed the picture to him.

Daryl hesitated, but reached out to take it from her, his dirty fingers only lightly brushing over hers. He looked at it as well as he could, with only the fire to provide light.

"Frankie," Ace spoke very quietly. Daryl, at this point, had trained himself to hear her silent voice. He glanced to her, then back down to the picture. There wasn't too much resemblance, but the little girl had the same eyes. "Her school picture, kindergarten," Ace mumbled, now looking into the fire. Daryl could see the thoughts that raged over her, a sadness creasing her face into a frown.

A moment of silence passed before Ace looked at Daryl again. "I know she's probably..." Ace trailed off, shaking her head, fumbling over words to convey the thoughts on her little sister. "But-" Ace straightened her posture. "If something happens tomorrow," Ace mumbled, gulping. She couldn't say aloud all her fears about tomorrow.

But Daryl didn't need her to. "I'll keep an eye out."

A weight lifted off Ace's shoulders. Ace knew deep down that there was a very, very small chance Frankie survived. But there was still a chance. Ace had wanted to look for her, but... She felt relief knowing that Daryl had that picture. He would recognize her if he ever ran into her, alive or undead.

Daryl and Ace held eye contact, the fire illuminating their faces. As they looked into each others eyes, so much was said. There was so much there. So much anger and fear and confusion. But through all that, there was something more. A mutual feeling rushed through them. Both of them looked away at the same time.

Daryl stood up. "Should get some rest," he mumbled, trying to brush off what was happening.

Ace, full of different thoughts, didn't argue. She stood, gathering her things, as did Daryl.

In a comfortable, but powerful silence, they walked back to the house.

Daryl couldn't help but have his attention divert to the thought of Ace as she walked silently next to him. The day had come to an end and now tomorrow was weighing heavily on his shoulders.

He didn't understand how Ace was so calm and quiet all this time. The weight of all of this had to be heavier for her. Daryl really never knew anyone that had cancer in his past life. Well, he knew of people, but they weren't necessarily important to him. But he did know that people made a big deal out of it. It was always the talk of the town an' people got real depressed about it all the time.

Daryl could see why after watching Ace nearly deteriorate before his eyes. It was an ugly disease. 

But Daryl was more confused on how Ace was so quiet about the fact that she might die. Flashing back over the past couple of weeks, she had never snapped or been dramatic about it. Hell, she almost didn't tell anyone and would've died unknowingly. It seems strange, almost inhumane, to not freak out.

Daryl didn't know too much about the girl, even though they have been side by side for weeks on end. At the least, he knew she was damn sure someone who kept everything inside. If Daryl was her, he probably would've been drunk and out of control the entire time.

Daryl huffed and glanced at her small figure following next to him.

It was dark now and most of the group had gone to bed. Quietly, Daryl and Ace went back to the room she had been trapped in for the past week. It felt different now.

Daryl collected all the dishes and went to drop them in the kitchen, grabbing the DVD player on his way back.

Ace fidgeted with her hat as she got into the bed. Daryl returned, shutting the door behind him. He joined her back on the bed, sitting in his spot next to her, leaning against the bed frame. He placed the DVD player between them, pressing play on the movie they never finished.

For a while neither of them were able to focus on it, stuck in their thoughts. Stuck in everything that had happened today. But Ace was thankful, as she had been for everything today, when she drifted back into the movie.

She was able to forget about the impending doom as the film played between them. She forgot so much that it had her drifting off into a comfortable sleep.

Daryl hadn't realized she fell asleep until he felt a pressure on his shoulder. He tensed, glancing down to see Ace's head resting on his arm. Daryl was frozen, unsure of what to do. Normally, he would have shoved her off him. Or he would have slid out from under her. But he didn't. He was terrified he'd break her neck or something.

Maybe because as much as he wouldn't think about it, a part of him was afraid tomorrow would be Ace's last day. He had never been able to think through or explain the stupid affect the girl had on him, but for once he didn't try. For once it didn't anger him.

He knew that he might feel awkward or regret the touch in the morning, but for now he would regret it more if he shoved her off. If something happened tomorrow, he would have a lot of regret.

So he didn't move. He allowed Ace's presence near him, allowed her head to rest on his arm.


	56. The Last Moment

Ace dreamt.

She dreamt of Frankie and she dreamt of Daryl.

Her and Daryl were hunting in the woods, tracking together like they had before. The sky was grey and full of fog, as if the clouds had been touching the ground. Her vision was limited to only the trees directly in front of her. Her and Daryl were searching for something, almost like they were when they were looking for Sophia.

But it wasn't Sophia they found. It was Frankie.

And she was a walker.

Ace froze, unable to move her feet. She tried to run but she couldn't move. She tried to scream but her yells just echoed back at her. Daryl had disappeared into the fog, no longer a memory of her dream and Ace had to face Frankie alone, unable to go towards her. She couldn't get her body to work. Somehow, in the dream, Ace realized that she was now a walker, too.

Daryl could feel Ace twitching in her sleep, causing him to wake up. He rubbed a hand over his face as he regained consciousness, looking down at her.

She was close to him. _Really_ close. Daryl tensed.

Daryl looked down at her. Her face was rigid, her teeth grinding together. She was moving slightly in her sleep, which she usually never did. She usually was as sturdy as a rock and sleep was the only time Daryl had ever seen her face relax. This time it was not that way.

Daryl sat up, moving slightly away. He rubbed at his eyes.

It only took a couple of minutes before Ace was stirring awake.

Daryl glanced at her as her eyes batted open, looking lost for a moment. There was a brief flash of fear before she realized that it had all been a dream.

Ace sat up, shaking it off.

Her bones ached as if she hadn't walked in months. There was a stiffness in her knees as she stretched them out, sitting up as she did so. She glanced around the room, for a moment only seeing the fog that had haunted her dreams. And Frankie's face, tendons raw and torn apart, loomed over Ace's mind.

As Ace continued to move her body, it hurt, but she felt relieved that she once again had the power to move, unlike in her dream. She started to flex her muscles everywhere she could, making sure they would work if she needed.

Ace's hat had come off while she slept so she grabbed it and slid it back on, now looking towards Daryl. He usually was gone in the mornings so she was surprised. They were sitting only a foot apart, both looking rough and sleepy. They met eyes.

Tension was thick in the air as they looked at each other. They were sitting on each side of the bed, both of their postures alert but still sleepy. A heavy weight was hanging on their shoulders as they simply looked at each other. Thats all they could do. They had barely woken up, barely had a moment to think. But they didn't need it. It was the morning of the surgery. It was time.

It seemed like the world spun around them, the only thing that was holding Ace in place was Daryl's eyes that had locked onto hers. It seemed like the fog in her dream reemerged, allowing her to only see the man that was directly in front of her, nothing else. It might as well have been a dream, or more so a nightmare, cause Ace was wishing that today wasn't real.

Usually there was so much communicated between the two when they looked at each other like this, but today it seemed like there was nothing. There was nothing to think, nothing to debate about. The weight of Ace's surgery hung upon them like a thousand pounds.

They looked at each other not for comfort, not for solace, but for the depth of it all. There was nothing they could say to each other, nothing more that they could do. They could only realize that today was the day that made or broke everything.

It felt like a lifetime that they sat there, just looking into each other. And Ace wished she had a lifetime more to do that.

But Hershel came in.

Ace didn't look away from Daryl until she absolutely had to.

Hershel had a solemn look on his face as he greeted her, the older man's clothes covered in a bit of dust and wrinkle from sitting in a drawer for too long. He stood next to her bed and it was strange to have him here and not be setting up an IV right away. The atmosphere that carried throughout the room had everyone feeling very serious.

"In an hour," Hershel spoke, his voice cutting through the tension in the room like a knife. "Patricia is going to get everything set up. She will be assisting me today."

Ace took shaky breaths.

"Fortunately, Carl's gunshot left us with anesthesia to put you under. In order to do so, we will have to hook you up to a respirator to keep you breathing," Hershel continued on, trying to sound as professional as he could, but it was obvious to tell he was unsure. It was as if he was going through a checklist, stating the things that he could try. But although Carl getting shot was terrible and they lost Otis in the process of retrieving supplies, it left them more prepared for this. "Rick is a universal donor, he will be giving you some blood."

Ace felt her head spin but she gulped it down. Hershel began to describe the details of the procedure, mentioning how he'd use Ace's old scar for reference and that he'd have to be as quick as he can to find the tumor before Ace could go into shock or loose too much blood. He also mentioned the difficulties he would face with the lack of equipment and practice. He didn't want to damage any bone or nerve tissue.

Ace had already heard most of this, they discussed it already. So this time, she zoned out, only able to hear the fear in Hershel's voice.

But at the same time, Ace knew Hershel was trying as hard as he could. He would spend nights in his office studying up on cancer, reading over literature and doing whatever he could to become proficient on Ace's cancer. But, at the end of the day, they were in a farm house, not a hospital, with a vet, not an oncologist.

"Don't eat or drink anything, we will be getting started soon," Hershel finished with a nod to both Ace and Daryl, stepping out of the room. It was too difficult to say anything else and address the deadly elephant in the room.

Shortly after, Patricia came in with a medical cart to start getting things set up. Ace's face paled as she watched Patricia, looking at the scalpel and the towels she carried.

Daryl stood, fidgeting for a moment. He glanced at Ace, seeing how see was deathly staring at the oncoming future. Daryl moved and stood in front of her. "S' go for a walk."

Ace's body was moving before she could register it, but her eyes were glued to Patricia. She felt hollow as she put her boots on, barely hanging on. She was tingling with numbness as she followed Daryl out of the room.

Ace wrapped her arms around herself, cold, as they walked outside. There weren't many places for them to walk, so as usual, they went in the direction of Daryl's camp. But they went slow. Not because Ace was sickly, but because they were in no rush to their destination. They were in no rush for today.

Ace at least found solace in having Daryl walk next to her. Last time she went through this, she was all alone. As horrible as that was, maybe she wouldn't be as afraid if she hadn't formed whatever it was with Daryl. If she was alone, she wouldn't have been so afraid to never see these people again.

When they got to Daryl's site, they didn't sit.

They stood, both looking at the camp. Its like Ace was looking at the past, looking at all the times her and Daryl sat here. And then she was looking into the future, imagining Daryl sitting here alone and all the conversations she would miss out on. All the hunts she wouldn't be going on.

Ace started to think about what would happen if she died. What would Daryl do? What would the group do?

They probably would hold an uncomfortable funeral. Rick would probably try to say something, but would struggle because none of them really know anything about her. Carol would probably relieved. Would any of them be sad? Ace figured they most likely would move on very quickly. Ace hadn't interacted with them much, especially these last few weeks. Dale was the only one she spent time with other than Daryl.

The group would move past Ace quicker than anyone else.

Ace envisioned Daryl at this site alone, bringing back a deer or squirrel from the woods. Maybe he would even move his site back, join the rest of the group in the house. Maybe he would become more integrated with the rest. Maybe that would be better for him.

Ace, the suffer-in-silence type, had been living with these thoughts and all of this pain for a long time now. Sometimes Ace is in shock with herself at just how high her autopilot would be set on. She should be freaking out, screaming, crying, but instead she has always just been numb. It felt like a tornado was blasting through her mind every second of the day, yes, but no one could see just how much she was hurting. If someone looked at her randomly right now, they would never know she was about to get surgery. They would never know that she was expecting to die. Daryl could only assume all of this, but every now and then he was able to catch glances of the pain all over Ace's face. Looking death head on was something only she had the strength to do. Even though everyone stares into the faces of the undead now. But that was different.

Daryl also tried to imagine what he would do after today. He was struggling to picture what his place would be, with or without Ace. It was starting to dawn on him how much of his days and his life had been incorporated with her. He started to realize how weird it would be if he would wake up one day and not see her. Daryl wasn't sure what he would do after all this, wasn't sure what came after for him if he was not sitting in Ace's room.

Whether she survived or not, after today, things would change. And he wasn't sure at what point in time his life became integrated with hers. He couldn't even imagine the moment when she became something in his life and he stopped hating it. It just happened.

Daryl glanced over to Ace who was intently staring at the campsite. He tried to read her face, but could only see a blank slate.

That is until she started walking forward.

She walked past their chairs, the tent they had shared, and all of Daryl's random belongings scattered throughout the site. She walked past all of it until it was all behind her and only the forest's tree line was to be seen. Her mind was flashing between memories of the past and fear of the future. Each thing was like a slap across the face, sending her head reeling.

Daryl watched her back skeptically and curiously as she stood in front of the woods.

Ace looked at the trees and the earth that rested between her and the forest. It was only a short distance. She was weak, but she could run. She could disappear into that forest and avoid everything she was afraid of. She took another step forward.

It was now that Daryl slowly started to approach her, after watching from afar. As his figure appeared in Ace's peripheral vision next to her, Ace felt the ache spread throughout her body. It was as if he knew what she was thinking... knew exactly why she was staring at the forest so intently.

They stood for a moment before Daryl turned to face Ace. He fidgeted, looking down at his feet. The wind gusted, blowing strands of Daryl's hair across his forehead. His hair was getting longer, more messy, but he used the length to shield himself behind.

Ace turned to face him now as well. For a moment, Daryl kept his eyes casted elsewhere, but he couldn't help but to look to meet hers. He could see the ache now in her eyes. He could see all of the fear. She wanted to run into that forest. And he couldn't let her do that.

"Gotta stay," Daryl mumbled, referring to the fact that he knew just how bad she wanted to escape.

Ace turned back to look at the forest. "Why?" The question escaped her lips in a quiet breath, full of pain.

Daryl squinted at her slightly and turned to join her in looking at the woods. Daryl wanted to go out there too. Hell, it was like home to him. But they both knew why they had to stay. There was a sadness that rolled over them. Ace's simple question had an emotion to it that both were struggling to fight off.

Daryl was having a hard time thinking of what to say. He couldn't even place exactly what he was feeling, let alone form words to say to her. Out of all the things in the world, there was nothin as scary or frustrating than trying to understand what he felt towards Ace. And he was especially not one to use words to figure this shit out.

Daryl racked his brain for some sort of answer, for anything. But there was nothing. Nothing he could say. Now he was the one that wanted to escape into the woods.

Instead, he turned back to face Ace, his body fighting for confidence and shoving down pure fear and doubt as he looked at her. Ace felt his gaze and faced him now as well, glancing up at his pale blue eyes. There was something different in them. Something Ace couldn't place, but she kept looking.

It was quiet, they could each only hear themselves breathing. There were no birds chirping anymore, no traffic or phone calls. The rest of the group was still asleep, so there was not even any chatter. Although, they wouldn't be able to hear it from here.

Daryl could feel his heart pounding at his chest, like he was about to have a fuckin' heart attack. He kept looking at her. He couldn't make sense of all the thoughts in his head, they were just driving him insane. He couldn't think, couldn't get his heart to chill the fuck out. He didn't know what the hell was going on.

Ace felt something change. Given all that has changed over the past few months, she should be used to it. But she wasn't. This was different.

Daryl cursed under his breath.

"Dary-"

"Jus' don't move," he snapped, his heart racing.

Ace tensed, looking at him with surprise. Her mouth closed, unsure of why Daryl was angry all of the sudden. She was trying to think, her mind kicking back into gear. She couldn't understand him though, not in the atmosphere between them.

Daryl let out a large breath and stepped forward. Neither of them could have expected what he did next.

He reached his hand out, placing it on the side of her neck, fingers brushing against her nape. Then, quickly, he leaned forward and kissed the top of her forehead, only pausing for a moment to lightly brush his lips against her icy skin.

Before Ace had even realized it happened, it was over. Daryl was turned away from her, walking back, inwardly cursing.

Ace was frozen, completely baffled. She turned as she watched him walk away, the wind blowing harsh against her. She swore she could feel the ghost of where her hair used to be tickle her neck, but it was just the tingle from where Daryl's hand once was. But from that point on, everything was a blur. Everything but the feeling of Daryl's calloused hands on her cold skin.

Ace stood, watching Daryl's back as he walked away. She was trying to think, but just couldn't.

Her feet were glued to the ground for a long moment. She was unsure of what to do, of where to go. She was afraid to go back to the house but was also afraid to get Daryl's attention.

As Ace looked at Daryl and felt petrified.

Not because of what Daryl did, but because of how Ace felt. She had been pushing it down for so long to give him space and not push him. But now she was about to die. And there was no time. _She should have pushed him_.

Ace couldn't think now that it was clear to her maybe Daryl did share similar feelings. But Ace couldn't ask Daryl, see what would happen next. She had to go inside, she had to face her own death before she could ever experience what was happening.

After that encounter with Daryl, Ace realized how terrified she really was to die. She realized that if she died, Daryl may not move on as fast as she might have thought he would. But even worse than this, Ace didn't want to miss out on the future moments with him. Something in her stomach ached for these moments. She had always had a one track mind; survive. Now, she was questioning what survival may mean to her. Its too bad this realization came on what may be her last day.

And that may have very well been the last moment she spent with Daryl.

No.

"Daryl!" Ace called to him. He had gotten a good distance away across all of the dead grass. "Daryl, wait!"

Daryl had heard her, making him slow. He didn't want to stop walking, didn't want to face her. He needed to run away. But it was that same _regret_ that made him turn around, petrified.

Ace rushed over to Daryl. And when she got close to him, she didn't slow down. She didn't care if Daryl shoved her off or hated her for pushing his limits, this was the last moment she had.

Ace nearly crashed her body into his, shooting her arms around him.

Daryl tensed, every single muscle in his body going rigid. His initial reaction was to pull away, but Ace clung to him. And the way she buried her head into his chest had every single thing inside Daryl imploding. He was terrified she would be able to feel how hard his heart was beating.

But Ace didn't let go, making Daryl's head spin.

One at a time Daryl's muscles tried to relax, flexing underneath her grip. Until he awkwardly brought his arms up. He was still afraid to touch her and break her, but when he placed a light hand on her and she didn't flinch from his touch, he ever so carefully returned her hug.

Ace's eyes closed, trying to just freeze time. Freeze everything.

While Daryl was hyper aware of every way he touched her, his head still bowed. For one single moment his mind clicked off and he was just able to feel her pressed against him. For some fucking reason she wanted to. For some reason she wasn't disgusted with him for him touching her.

For one single moment they held each other and there was nothing else.

\---

Ace was sitting on the bed. It had been stripped of all its blankets and pillows, only the bottom sheet remaining. Everything was set up.

Ace was still living in a blur as Hershel and Patricia were standing in front of her. Hershel was talking, but Ace wasn't hearing. She was only looking at Daryl, who was not returning the eye contact.

Once again the fog from Ace's dream returned. The feeling of being unable to move returned. She was frozen with fear.

Hershel started to move Ace, guiding her into position.

All of this felt unreal. It had unfolded so quickly before Ace's eyes. She thought she would have more time, more of the day to freak out about it, and more days in general. But it was currently happening. No one came to speak to Ace, to say goodbye, only Maggie had sent her a nod from the kitchen, making this not feel real. Ace and Daryl hadn't said anything to each other, both still stuck on what happened a moment ago at his campsite. But maybe that action held more words than either could speak.

Hershel helped her remove her shirt. Normally, Ace would be uncomfortable, but she felt like she was in a dream, or more so a nightmare, and couldn't get a handle on reality. Ace was screaming on the inside, but only showed a blank face besides the cold sweat on her forehead. She was in shock.

She hadn't even noticed Rick in the room as well, face full of worry as he began a blood transfusion.

"Ready?" Hershel asked, not expecting much of an answer. No one was ready, but there was really not much he could say. "Okay," he said to himself as confidently as he could.

Ace moved so she was now laying on her stomach, the side of her head resting on the bed. This is when the panic hit.

Hershel poked her with a needle, administering a small amount of anesthesia. All the fear that Ace used to feel when it came to needles came rushing back up. Patricia approached the side of the bed with the ventilator.

Ace started to feel like the dreamlike state was much, much more prominent. She really had no grip on reality. Reality was closing in on her like a box, compressing her lungs tightly. She started breathing heavy, fear coursing through her bones.

Panicked, Ace searched for Daryl. She couldn't see him, only the wall to her side. She was unable to see anything that was happening, anything that Hershel was doing, making her freak out at the idea of not knowing what to expect. She was dozing in and out of blackness when she felt something wet on her back. Hershel was cleaning the area. Ace twitched involuntarily.

Patricia couldn't hook her up to the respirator until she relaxed, but Ace wasn't registering any of the soothing words she was trying to say to her. It was Rick that had to get Daryl's attention, giving him a knowing look. This was Daryl's place, and Rick would have told him to hold it together for her just a few minutes longer, but instead nodded his head towards Ace's direction.

Ace was having a hard time breathing, feeling like she was already dying. Her mouth was so dry she wouldn't have been able to speak if she wanted to. And she did want to. She wanted to scream and jump up and run as far away from here as possible.

Her lips were chapped from the harsh breaths that were escaping her lungs. She couldn't feel her legs, couldn't even tell if she was laying or floating anymore, making her feel sick. It felt like she was spinning in the center of the room.

But then Daryl appeared in her line of sight. Ace wasn't sure if he was really there or if she was dreaming again.

He knelt down to get to her eye level, looking at her with wide eyes, attempting to wrap his arm through hers to keep her held down. "S'okay, Mouse."

Ace huffed out a breath, her panic slowing down.

The locked eye contact with Daryl was enough to get Ace to stop freaking, allowing Patricia to get her on the respirator. Ace's eyes widened and her body jolted. Daryl put an arm across her upper back to hold her even harder down onto the bed, his eyes become stern as he looked into hers.

"Jus look at me," he demanded, his voice assertive. Blackness was taking over the corners of Ace's vision as she started to feel pressure.

All Ace could remember was the death grip on Daryl's hand before her vision went completely black.


	57. To Love and To Lose

Daryl's chest was tight.

He was frantically looking around, looking at Hershel, looking at Ace who had gone limp under his hands, and looking at the scalpel that ran down Ace's back, opening up a massive wound. He froze at the sight of her flesh splitting open like butter.

Hershel was barking out demands to Patricia, ordering her to hand him the scissors, then the towel, then something else. Daryl was watching wide eyed.

Patricia ran around the bed, bumping into Daryl, getting him to stumble backward.

"Son, I need you to give me space," Hershel demanded, not looking up from Ace's back. It was red, so red. Sweat was building at the older mans forehead. When Daryl didn't move, Hershel looked to him. " _Now_!"

Rick, finished with his blood transfusion, stood up. He put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, attempting to guide him out of the room. Daryl didn't want to move his feet. "Daryl, give them space. She's in good hands," Rick urged him calmly even though the scene unfolding in front of him was hard to stomach.

Daryl still didn't want to go, but found that he had no choice. Somehow Rick guided him out of the room.

In the hallway, the fresh air hitting his face, anger rose in Daryl. He saw all of the group standing around the kitchen, looking at him with a mixture of expectance and pity. They had a way of sucking the pride out of him, with all their questioning glances. Their curious, wandering eyes and lingering comments are what made him even more afraid of everything he had done and is doing with Ace. Daryl had no idea what he was doing, and the constant he-said-she-said of this group made it too hard to do anything. So he hadn't, and now she was lying in the other room, and all the things he had done wrong were screaming at him.

Daryl was huffing, staring back at all of them, his eyes darting between the faces. Unable to hold back, made a quick movement and sent his fist into the wall.

Daryl seemed to have been on autopilot this entire time, too. Both him and Ace had the unfortunate characteristic of pushing everything down. But Daryl had an easier time pushing it down. He had barely spoken to her the whole time they were in that room after he found out she had cancer. He couldn't. He would find himself thinking, but the only thing he would ever show was anger. But he tried to remain as blank as possible near Ace, for he was afraid of how he could react if he actually felt something. This is not how he wanted it to go, he never wanted this girl in his life. But she silently climbed her way in deep enough for him to regret every thing he didn't do.

But now his autopilot was slipping away as well. He was fumbling to find control over it. This was hitting him hard. It hit him harder than his dads fist ever had. Harder than Merle could have ever shoved him. The worst part was, he didn't know how.

Rick tried to guide him away again, but Daryl shoved him off with an angry grunt and stormed out of the house.

Accepting this, Rick nodded and stepped back, joining Lori and Carl in the kitchen. He passed T-Dog and Maggie who sat at the kitchen table, their legs bouncing up and down anxiously.

All of them shared a glance after Daryl stormed off.

Daryl was letting out heavy breaths, nursing his throbbing hand. He was pacing back and forth at the side of the house. He wanted to run, but he couldn't get his feet to move far from the house. The image of Ace's limp body and the gaping wound on her back was flashing across his eyes.

He wanted nothing more than to be as far away from here as possible. The whole time, this whole situation, he ached to get away. But there was always something that kept his ass parked right here. Was it guilt? Was he no better than Lori, trying to fill some void in his life?

Most of the group ended up dispersing, starting to busy themselves with chores and packing up their things to move into the house. Although not many knew Ace well, they still felt strange doing anything normal during this time. They all at least avoided Daryl like the plague.

As more and more time passed, Daryl felt like his insides were on fire. He was anxiously chewing on his thumb, to the point where he thought he might hit bone. Daryl wanted to go back in, wanted to see what was happening, but could never get to the porch steps.

He kept considering it, walking up, but then would make a sharp turn and start pacing again.

More time passed.

Daryl was now sitting on the ground, leaned against the side of the house. He head his head resting back against the paneling, but as more thoughts came and his insides churned, it bowed down.

Lori saw him from the camp, considering if she should speak to him. To comfort him. It was Rick that came up to her, shaking his head at the idea. Give him space, was all Rick said.

An hour later, it was T-Dog that was inside the house. He was bringing a bin of supplies into the living room when he heard commotion from inside Ace's room. Carefully, he set the bin down, trying not to make too much noise so he could listen.

T-Dog took small steps towards the direction of the room, passing by the stair case. He was taken aback when the door swung open. T-Dog only paused for a moment, taking in Hershel's appearance, before he ran out of the house. The screen door slammed behind him. "Dixon!" T-Dog called as he stomped down the steps.

Daryl shot up from the side of the house, not even sparing a single look at T-Dog as he ran up the steps. T-Dog and a few others followed him inside.

Daryl was rushing into the house, but skidded to a stop when Hershel was waiting in the doorway of Ace's room. Daryl only froze for a moment before he was immediately stomping over to the older man. Daryl was going to go past him and into the room, but Hershel held his hand up in front of Daryl's chest. Daryl opened his mouth to snap at him, but then he saw the look on Hershel's face.

That same sinking feeling that Daryl had felt when he found out Ace had cancer returned in an instant.

Hershel looked from Daryl to Maggie who was standing in the kitchen. Everyone was eerily silent. There was an exhaustion and a sort of defeat pulling at his face.

Then, Hershel bowed his head, shaking it.

She didn't make it.


	58. Dead Or Alive

Daryl looked at Hershel, his stance faltering. He held himself up, feeling bile rise in his throat while his heart sunk into his stomach. Daryl wanted to yell at the old man to get back in there, but he couldn't. He couldn't get anything out, alarmed at the way his face started to twitch.

Maggie let out a gasp, covering her mouth.

"She went into shock," Hershel announced, empty. "Her heart... Failed."

Daryl saw red, squinting his eyes as he looked at the old man. From his toes to the top of his head, anger rushed like a wave had just crashed over him. He was drowning. Hershel was lying. He was playing some stupid game. It wasn't that easy, she couldn't be gone so quick.

"Nah," Daryl's voice cracked. He searched Hershel's face once again, taken aback. "No," Daryl yelled now, shoving past Hershel and into the room. 

"Son-" Hershel tried to stop him, but it was useless. Daryl wasn't thinking, wasn't even breathing as he rushed to Ace, shoving past all the needles and the equipment so hurriedly that the metal tools clanged as they fell onto the floor.

Ace was limp in the bed. Blood covered the sheets.

Daryl didn't stop as he went up to her, not hesitating flip her over onto her back. "No." He demanded.

He placed his hands on her chest. He had no idea what he was doing, but he did it any way, his body working without his brain even having to tell it to. Frantically, he started pumping. To the best rhythm he knew, he pounded his hands against her chest. He was huffing, not stopping, going as hard as he could. That same hair that had brushed against his forehead from the wind was now falling in front of his eyes.

It wasn't working. Ace's face was paler than it had ever been. Her chest wasn't rising or falling, there was no air coming from her lips. No thoughts on her face.

Daryl grunted and kept going, only stopping for a second to wipe the sweat off his forehead. He wasn't going to stop.

That was until Maggie came in.

She put a hand on Daryl's arm, shoving him off. He was so shaken that he nearly stumbled back, his upper lip shaking as he registered Maggie. Without even a glance, Maggie started taking over CPR for him. She knew what she was doing.

Daryl watched with wide eyes as Maggie now pumped at Ace's chest.

Ace's limp body was bouncing with the movements, her hands rolling off the edge of the bed, rocking side to side from the aggression on her chest. Maggie kept going. Kept trying to get Ace's heart started again.

It wasn't working. It wasn't-

Maggie let out a yell and made a split movement to send a harsh fist pounding into Ace's chest.

Ace's body jolted, getting both Maggie and Daryl to freeze. Ace's eyes barely opened, but she let out a breathy cough, choking slightly with the respirator, before oxygen once again hit her lungs and her eyes shut.

"DAD!" Maggie yelled.

Hershel came running back in, bending over Ace. Her chest was moving again. Her pulse was back.

"Blood. Now," Hershel demanded.

Daryl sprung into action, dragging over the bag that was full of the blood Rick donated. Hershel grabbed onto the IV, sticking it into Ace's vein.

Daryl stumbled back, watching Hershel and Patricia now quickly work over Ace again. They rolled her onto her side, Hershel grabbing a bottle of alcohol.

Daryl had no idea what Hershel was doing, but at least he was doing something. He was going as quickly as he could, stopping to check her pulse every now and again in case he had to continue chest compressions. No one spoke, just panicked breaths were let out as Hershel worked above Ace.

"She needs fluids," Maggie eventually spoke from beside Hershel as he cut off the end of the stitching thread.

Hershel nodded and stopped the blood transfusion, getting Ace set up with a clear IV bag.

After that, Hershel took a step back.

"Is she..?" Maggie started.

"I've stitched the wound and sterilized it. Her breathing seems to be steady. For now, thats all I can do."

Daryl let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, stumbling back and slumping into the chair in the back of the room. His body crumpled in on itself, releasing so many emotions so fast he almost made himself dizzy. 

"And the tumor?" Maggie asked, disoriented, glancing to the cart filled with blood, bandages, and tools.

"It was larger than expected, but..." Hershel let out a breath. "We were able to remove before her pulse started to fade. Although, with the placement on her spine and the amount of incisions it took to extract, we need to be mindful of possible nerve damage."

"She's gonna be okay?" Maggie nearly gasped, her eyes growing glossy.

"As long as she is able to stabilize in the next hour, I think... I believe she will be alright," Hershel stated, almost in disbelief, looking down at Ace in the bed. "But we have to keep an eye on her. Without an EKG we need to be monitoring her pulse closely."

Hershel ran his hands over his face, his shoulders releasing all the tension. He started wiping his hands on a towel and dabbing the sweat off his face, now letting the stress of the situation wash over him.

"Maggie," Hershel announced, his voice much more confident now. "Keep an eye on her, watch her breathing. Keep record of her heart rate every few minutes. I need to clean up." Maggie nodded, still panting and in shock, but much more level-headed than the other body in the room.

Hershel and Maggie turned and looked at Daryl.

Daryl's hunched down, his head bowed as he looked at the floor in between his feet.

Hershel and his daughter shared a glance for a quick moment. Giving Maggie a small smile pat on the back to ease her worries, Hershel set the towel in his hand down on the cart before turning to Daryl. He stepped over, standing for a moment next to the crouched figure in the chair, before placing his hand on Daryl's shoulder. Daryl didn't move, like a stone, all of his muscles stiff.

"Son," Hershel looked down at him. "She is going to be alright."

Daryl sent the smallest of nods, not daring to suck up another ounce of his pride, continuing to drill his eyes into the tiniest crack on the floorboard.

"You should get some rest. Fresh air," Hershel offered. "Her body needs to recover, I don't expect she will wake for a while."

Daryl had no response for him. He wanted nothing more than to get out of this room, escape it all. He wanted to be in the woods, on his own, none of this ever being. But he couldn't move. He thought about if Merle had come back and they left the group back in Atlanta. For a moment he blamed the group for what happened, but then realized it was Ace. It was always Ace. If Merle had come back Daryl would have left with Ace.

Hershel removed his hand from Daryl, facing back towards the bed. "I'll clear out everyone from the house. The shower upstairs is open, I advise you take it," Hershel spoke towards Daryl, then looked to Maggie. "Patricia will be in to clean up. I'll check back soon."

Maggie gave him a nod, watching as her father left the room, completely exhausted. When the door closed softly behind him, she glanced to Daryl. She was afraid to upset him or push him any further, so she turned away from him and sat on the edge of the bed, lightly running her fingers along the top of Ace's hand.

It seemed the atmosphere in the room had gone from 100 percent chaos to zero, all in the course of a few minutes. Now, Daryl sat in silence, his eyes drifting up to start staring at Ace's figure on the bed. He was trying to regain some sort of footing, trying to catch his breath after all the panic. Everything had happened so fast but now, now time was weighing on him slowly. All he could remember was the look on her dead face.

When Patricia came into the room, silently beginning to gather everything, ridding of any evidence Ace was lying here cut open, Daryl felt discomfort rise like bile in his throat. He listened as Maggie and Patricia had a simple conversation, confusing him how they could act so normally here, right now.

Daryl glanced at the scalpels and discarded blood bags, then to Ace, and in an instant he pushed himself up to get out of the room. Patricia and Maggie watched as his back left in a hurry, yanking the door closed tightly behind him.

Daryl stood in the hallway, where to his left he could hear Hershel in his room. And glancing to the right, he could see the group around camp through the screen door. Knowing there was no option of him going out there, he made his way upstairs. He took the shower Hershel was advising, worried that maybe it was about the white blood cell count or immune system thing he had mentioned before. But then when he was redressing, he started to overthink about that. Maybe the clothes he was wearing were too dirty? His crossbow had guts and brains on it, he hadn't cleaned it yet.

He needed clean clothes. He probably had guts and shit on his clothes, too.

Daryl left his crossbow in the living room as he left the house. When he got outside, he felt all the eyes on him, making his shoulders curl and back hunch in tightness as he lined straight to his campsite. He hated everything about this. He changed his clothes and tried to wipe off his knife as best he could, taking up time before he went back inside. He wanted nothing more than to walk the perimeter, take watch, go hunting... anything to be alone. To be away from everyone. From all of this.

But he felt guilt. If Ace woke up and he wasn't there, if something happened and he wasn't there, he would feel more regret than he does now. And looking at his campsite, he felt enough to make his posture fail.

How many times did they sit here while she was sick but he didn't know. He knew something was wrong, but figured he didn't care enough to push. He wondered if he had found out sooner if anything would have changed. Maybe the tumor wouldn't'a been as big?

There was another part of him that was terrified for if she woke up and hated him. He had kissed her, and he shouldn't have. He didn't know what he was doing, or why he was doing it. She could wake up and slap him in the face. He didn't understand any of this.

On his walk back to the house, Daryl thought about Merle again. If Merle were here, he would beat Daryl's ass into the ground. It would be endless, the never ending shit he got for this. Merle would laugh and call him a pussy. And as he avoided the group on his pass again, he nearly flinched waiting for something similar.

Daryl's head was low when he got to the door of Ace room. It was like he could smell the iron of her blood, the sting of the disinfectant, and wanted to pretend he never stopped by. He paused for a moment before he went in.

Maggie didn't look at him as he did, still next to Ace. She had pulled an extra chair next to the bed, keeping her hands on Ace's throat to check her pulse, or lightly on her head.

Daryl stopped as he looked at the bed. As he looked at Ace.

Hershel had cleaned her up so she was no longer covered in blood, but she remained pale. The older man had put a pillow under Ace's back so her wound was not pressing against the bed, allowing her to lie normally, no longer on her side.

Her eyes were shut, mouth agape around the respirator. She was still, no emotion on her face. It was creepy how calm she looked. And the way Maggie pulled a blanket over her made her look like she was a corpse in a coffin.

There was an extra chair closer to the bed that Rick had been in to give blood. Daryl didn't dare glance to Maggie as he sat down. He reached and placed two fingers onto Ace's limp wrist. When he felt her pulse, Daryl felt like his own heart started to beat again. He huffed.

Daryl sat there, his eyes glued to her form. With all the focus in the world, he made sure that it kept rising and falling. He didn't move a muscle, afraid that if he did the breathing would stop.

But each time Ace let out a breath, relief passed over Daryl. Each time there was a pause, his body became rigid with fear. But each time, Ace kept breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean I couldn't actually kill my own character off so soon lol


	59. A Light In The Dark

Hershel came back in about an hour later. He had taken a shower to clean himself up, now wearing a new pair of clothes.

Maggie moved aside so he could check Ace's vitals. Hershel listened to her chest, lifted up an eyelid to shine a light in, and took her pulse. He seemed satisfied each time. Then, he put a hand on her forehead. "She's a little warm," he spoke.

"She got a fever?" Daryl snapped up right away, slightly panicked. Maybe she was sick, maybe she was turning. Maybe she would wake up a walker.

"Thats normal," Hershel calmed him down. "I'll set her up on another bag of fluids. When she wakes up, we will remove the ventilator and get her started on some antibiotics."

Daryl nodded, shifting in his chair.

Hershel walked to the corner of the room and grabbed a spare blanket. He draped it over Ace gently, covering her up to her shoulders. Daryl was picking at his fingers as Hershel replaced her IV bag with a new one.

"When?" Daryl grumbled, referring to Hershel's last comment about Ace waking up.

"The anesthesia should be out of her system within a few hours," Hershel looked at him. Daryl was shocked that she would be up so soon. "Eat some food, get some rest. There's some soup in the kitchen."

"I'll grab some," Maggie offered, already up.

Daryl looked back down at Ace as Hershel left.

He didn't take Hershel's advice on going to eat. He stayed put, keeping an eye on Ace's breathing, his mind running a mile a minute. But at the same time, he had no thoughts. No thoughts but the fact that he would wait. She would wake up. He didn't have time to question why he wanted her to wake up so bad. Not like he'd even know the answer besides he wouldn't have to worry about regretting anything again.

Maggie came in the room shortly after, carrying two bowls of soup and water.

"Told my dad there wasn't much of a chance you would leave to get food," Maggie said. Instead, she brought him some. She knew it would be a fight if someone tried to get him to leave. Daryl barely looked at her as he took the bowl, still keeping an eye on Ace.

Maggie checked Ace's forehead again, keeping her face calm. It was still a little warm, but that was to be expected. Ace had gone through hell, she was ought to be a little feverish.

"She's a fighter," Maggie said quietly, sitting in the extra chair opposite of Daryl on the other side of the bed.

Daryl didn't respond, just started picking at his food. He had wanted to be alone, but Maggie stayed and sat in silence with him for a while. Normally Daryl would be irritated, but he was a little thankful that there was another pair of eyes to watch Ace's breathing. He felt like sometimes his eyes were tricking him, that he was just imagining her chest rising because thats what he wanted to see.

But it wasn't a trick, she was still breathing.

He also was afraid to be in here alone if she woke up. He has no clue how to remove the shit that helps her breathe. He ain't the doctor.

Maggie left a little while later to go get Hershel, needing to catch up with Glenn and help him pack up his things to move inside the house tomorrow. She didn't say anything else to Daryl, still wary of how he might react. She gave him space.

Daryl was left alone with Ace again, but was still unsatisfied with the lack of her presence. She was here, but he wanted her to wake up. But throughout the most agonizing two hours of his life, she didn't. She didn't move, just lowly breathing.

So Daryl didn't move either. He kept watching her, occasionally checking her pulse or standing up to feel her forehead. Nothing changed, but he was almost waiting for her to wake up as a walker.

Even though she seemed fine, Daryl was still expecting the worse. Regret rushed through his veins each time he looked at her.

Throughout this time, Daryl started to realize that he would hate to live in a word, apocalypse or not, where Ace wasn't by his side. He had no idea why, but he was damn sure he didn't want to be left alone with the group. Ace was the only one that made this shit tolerable. He just didn't know if it was the same for her.

\---

Daryl was starting to get antsy that it was taking Ace so long to wake up. Hershel had said a few hours. It had to have been way more than that. It was completely dark out now.

Hershel had returned just a couple of minutes ago.

Daryl was slumped in the chair, head resting on his fist. He wasn't asleep, he had forced his eyes open to make sure Ace stayed breathing. He was waiting. Time ticked by slower than it ever has before.

Once again, Hershel took her vitals. This time, as he touched her head, her throat could be seen trying to swallow and her eyes rolled underneath the eyelids.

"I think she is coming to," Hershel said.

This had Daryl sitting up in his chair, alert. He slid to the edge as he watched Ace.

Ace didn't immediately wake up, didn't budge for a while. Daryl watched with a tension in his chest as she had random dream-like twitches in her fingers and facial expressions. The same twitches you get when you wake up a walker.

But that tension faded away when he watched Ace's eyes blink open. She was dazed off into the distance for a moment, not really seeing anything just yet. She blinked some more, her head rolling to the side.

Daryl felt nerves start to spike in his body as Ace's drowsy, squinted eyes, glanced around to him. But there was no pain on her face, no fear. She was confused, but could barely feel or understand anything that was going on.

Ace blinked some more, then looked to Hershel, then back to Daryl, confused and trying to register where she was.

Hershel started to softly speak to Ace as he noticed she was starting to become very uncomfortable with the respirator in. "How are you feeling?" Hershel asked.

Ace's eyes rolled around again from Hershel to Daryl. She just nodded in response, completely out of it.

"Okay, I'm going to take the respirator out now. Try to relax, you might feel a little bit of discomfort," Hershel informed. Ace's eyes blinked closed again as he removed some of the straps. Slowly he pulled it out.

Ace coughed violently and her face scrunched up, but it wasn't nearly as stressful as Daryl had been imagining it.

Hershel took the respirator away and went to place it on the bedside table. As he did this, Daryl had fallen victim to Ace's confused and tired eyes. As he looked at her, he sure had no clue what his face looked like. He had no idea what he was feeling or doing.

But something must have set something off in Ace, maybe she remembered something, because once it hit her, her body was jolting, trying to get up.

"No no no no," Hershel rushed over to her, putting hands on her shoulders to get her to lay back down.

Thats when the pain hit Ace. It was like a fire had been started on her lower back. She let out a low yell, trying to grab at her back.

Daryl stood quickly and held back her hands, holding them against the bed.

Ace looked frantic, looking from Hershel to meeting Daryl's eyes. She still hadn't figured out what was going on and her eyes kept rolling into the back of her head, exhaustion fighting its way to her. She was delirious.

"Pain killers and antibiotics," Hershel mumbled to himself, hurrying off out of the room to go grab them. Daryl almost cursed at Hershel for leaving him alone when he didn't know what to do.

Daryl just kept staring at Ace, into her eyes. They weren't walker eyes as he had prepared himself to see, they were hers, multicolored and almost just as scary. He had shock written all over him as she looked back. Alive.

Ace was panting in pain and confusion, crying out in a hoarse tone. Cold sweats were rolling across her forehead. She felt weak, like she had just woken up from getting hit by a bus, but she had no idea that she was awake. She was so unlike herself in this moment, had no control over herself. Daryl was about to panic over what was taking Hershel so long.

Ace's head was rolling side to side, her vision blurry and her head foggy. But then she looked at Daryl, the look on his face, and started to register what happened. "D?" Ace had tried to say his name, but her own cracking voice cut her off. Daryl could see the confusion, fear, and realization cross over her eyes all at once, in a way that made them glossy. He knew that even in her state, she must have realized she was alive.

Ace huffed, shock filling into her features. She had to be dreaming. This wasn't real. But when Daryl spoke, it made her realize that this was reality. She had survived.

"Ya alright."

Ace searched Daryl's eyes, her breaths starting to come in shorter spurts. It was his words that had Ace lightly choking, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm-," her voice cracked, tears now freely running down her face, collecting on the bedsheet. "Alive?"

Daryl nodded. "Ya alive, Mouse."

A horrible breathy laugh escaped Ace's dry throat, still nearly choking on her tears. Both Daryl and Ace were taken aback, but in her disoriented state she showed more emotion than he had ever seen on the girl. For a second, they both forgot that she was nearly screaming in pain. For a second, through Ace's laugh and tears, Daryl felt hope.

\---

Hershel came back, giving Ace a handful of medication. He helped her take the pills for she had no control over her body at the moment. He gave her the heaviest dose he could find of pain killers and antibiotics.

Shortly after having to bite her lip to keep her from yelling out, Ace had passed out again. She was so exhausted, felt like she was getting sucked into blackness, wasn't even sure if all of it was a dream.

\-----

Ace remained unconscious for the rest of the night while Daryl was very, _very_ conscious. The encounter with Ace when she woke up earlier was enough to have Daryl wide awake again. He hadn't slept at all the night before and although now would be the best time, he wasn't feeling tired.

He wasn't as worried about Ace's breathing, but he still kept an eye on it. More so than anything, he was utilizing his time alone in the room. None of the group bothered him, they were all starting to move their things inside the house. Daryl could leave the room, but this was much needed time for him to be alone.

He had a lot to think about and a lot he didn't want to think about. Either way, he was just glad no one came in and bothered him. Besides Hershel who came in once every hour to monitor how Ace was doing.

Maggie came in again as the sun started to rise on a new morning. She gave a small, trying smile as Daryl looked over to her, holding up a plate of eggs. After lightly closing the door behind her to not disturb anyone, she walked over to hand him the plate. Daryl grumbled a thanks, glancing up slightly to see her sitting down across the bed. She smiled as she looked at Ace, seeing her without the ventilator. "My dad said she woke up last night?"

Daryl nodded as he played with the fork in his hands, curious about the way Maggie was looking at Ace. He hadn't realized anyone else in the group gave a shit, 'sides the old man.

"She's lucky to have you here," Maggie kept her eyes on Ace as she spoke.

"Nah," Daryl grunted, looking back down at his plate of eggs.

Maggie now turned to him. "She really cares about you, you know."

Daryl's eyes snapped to her. Maggie had to almost hold back a giggle at his reaction. He really had no idea. "Its hard to miss," she smiled.

Although Daryl was overthinking every thing he had ever done, afraid Ace would hate him when he woke up, he couldn't help but think about how she was. She never reacted badly to anything he did, she never pushed him. She never got mad at him or ever judged him for the stupid shit he's done. All the shit he's said to her.

"Why me?" Daryl asked, casting his eyes away from Maggie. Maggie could still hear the self doubt.

"She trusts you, Daryl."

Daryl stayed with his eyes on Ace, not being able to conjure up a response for Maggie. And knowing that was the most she was going to get from him, Maggie stood up and slid out of the room. She had wanted to say more, but didn't want to push her luck.

Daryl sat frozen, considering all of this. It was never a possibility to him that Ace could be thinking about him.


	60. Me And You

When night time came upon them once again, Daryl began to have a hard time staying awake. It was hard to keep his eyes open when Ace wasn't awake to keep his attention. Although, her being unconscious seemed to have him thinking even more than usual. All that had happened the past few days was driving Daryl insane and he couldn't get a grasp on it. He couldn't figure out why he was here. He couldn't stop thinking about what Maggie had said to him. It was hard to miss? 

The curtains were closed over the windows, but Daryl could still hear people chatting outside quietly. He listened from the room, hearing them talk about Randal. It was decided that tomorrow morning they would finish moving inside the house and then in the afternoon they would once again attempt to drive Randal out farther away. Daryl wondered if Rick would ask him to go with, for Shane didn't work out so well the last time.

Daryl diverted his attention from them when they started to walk away and their voices faded. He slumped further back into the chair and looked up at the ceiling. The room was dark besides the lamp on the bedside table. He looked at the circle the lightbulb made on the ceiling, rubbing at the scruff on his chin.

Although he had been left alone, now that everyone was going off on their own for the night, it was very quiet in the house. Daryl was now able to release some tension in his shoulders.

That is until he heard a light groan come from the bed next to his right side.

Daryl sat up slowly, almost afraid at hearing noise from Ace once again. He wasn't afraid now because he thought she'd be a walker, but because he was afraid to face her.

Daryl peered over to Ace on the bed and saw how her head rolled to the side. For a moment, he hoped she was just moving in her sleep, but then her eyes started to blink open. He watched as they glazed over, trying to understand where they were.

Ace coughed a few times as she started to come to, feeling the ache it caused in her back. She looked around the room as her body tingled, sending vibrations down her legs. She started to take in her surroundings, swallowing saliva down her dry throat. She licked her chapped lips and rolled her head to the side, feeling the room follow her as she did.

She saw Daryl next to the bed, looking back at her. Ace was having a hard time remembering what was going on, remembering what happened that day. She kept blinking at Daryl, it was all she could do. The only thing she could remember was Daryl pressing his lips onto her forehead and how she clung to him for dear life.

The atmosphere was soft in the room which was surprising after all the recent events. But both Ace and Daryl were tired, sitting in darkness and complete silence.

Ace's throat was so dry it felt like sand paper each time she swallowed. She opened her mouth to ask for water, but couldn't get any sound to come out. Luckily, Daryl was able to think and realized what she needed. He stood quietly and reached over to the bed side table, grabbing a bottle of water.

Ace attempted to sit up, knowing she would choke if she drank the water lying down, but couldn't get her body to move. It was so numb and in so much pain at the same time. Daryl saw her struggling and stepped closer, his shoulders curled from how uncomfortable it was to be close to her.

Without a word he reached down and slid his hand under her head, trying to ignore how horrifying it was to touch her. He lifted her head up as gently as he could, bringing the water over to her mouth, reminding himself it was just for her health. Ace stuck out her chin a bit to meet the bottle as Daryl slowly started to pour some in her mouth.

When she finished, Daryl removed his hand and allowed her head to rest back on the pillow, keeping his eyes away from meeting hers in embarrassment. He put the water back on the table, Ace following him with her eyes as she did.

When Daryl sat back down in his chair beside the bed, he couldn't help but to look at Ace. Everything that was going through his head was intense, but all he could feel was shock that he was sitting here with Ace, awake, once again. It was almost as if none of what happened actually happened, almost as if she was fine again. And now that she survived the surgery, Daryl couldn't help but think that she would be fine, for good. The thought brought relief, but also fear. He now had no excuse to be near Ace, might actually have to figure out what he was doin with her.

"What happened?" Ace whispered, stumbling over her words in a slur.

Daryl's head was bowed down, but his eyes were looking up at her. He remained quiet for a couple moments, not wanting to relive or spend the time explaining the recent course of events to Ace. He was so exhausted and still couldn't stop thinking about the way she looked when he thought she was dead or when he kissed her forehead. He was so panicked about that, worried that it would make things worse, worried that it was stupid. He had no idea why he did that, no idea what made him. Right after he had wished he hadn't done it, wished it never happened and Ace wouldn't say anything, afraid of rejection or hatred or awkwardness. But it was almost worse for Daryl to know she might have forgotten.

"Thought ya were dead," Daryl mumbled as he looked towards Ace. Ace watched him intently, trying to remember. Her chest tightened as she watched Daryl's eyes cast down. "Hershel said yer heart failed, went into shock."

Ace was now feeling shocked again at this information.

"Maggie came in an' started doing CPR," Daryl lifted his head up a bit, trying to keep it as short and simple as he could. "And then ya woke up. Hershel put you on a bunch'a drugs."

Daryl didn't mention anything about how he tried to do CPR, tried to save her. He didn't want her to know how he reacted. He didn't even think that entire time, he was just acting. He was confused by it all, but the feeling of hearing she didn't make it still haunted him. The look on her cold face when she had slipped away haunted him, too.

Ace didn't respond, was just thinking about all that Daryl had said. She looked away for a moment, trying to stomach all of this, trying to stomach that she was actually alive. She was so, so certain she wouldn't. And now, she had no idea what to do or think because she never saw this as an outcome.

"I should get Hershel," Daryl announced, standing up and getting Ace to glance back over to him.

"Get Maggie, too," Ace grumbled. Daryl questioned her for a moment, but just sent her a nod before he left the room. He wasn't comfortable leaving her alone, afraid something would happen, but that is why he had to get Hershel.

The old man was in his office, but Maggie was nowhere to be found. Daryl mumbled something about Ace wanting Maggie to come to Hershel, so he took a moment to go upstairs to retrieve her.

Ace looked over to the doorway as they walked in, Daryl following behind Hershel but lingering near the entrance. Maggie was getting dressed and on her way down after them, having almost been asleep.

Hershel came over to the bed and sat in the seat that Daryl was just recently in but dragged it closer to the side of the bed. Hershel reached over and patted Ace's arm comfortingly. "Good to see you're awake," he offered. Hershel had one hell of a ride with her, happy that his efforts were not wasted. "How are you feeling?"

"M' not sure," Ace mumbled. She felt really weird, unable to determine what was happening in her body. She didn't feel pain, but at the same time she did. There was this constant dull sting radiating from her back that never went away and it felt like it was trying to become more powerful. She had fear that she wouldn't be able to move her legs if she tried.

Daryl watched from across the room, leaning against the wall, as Hershel started to explain all the drugs she was on and all the complications they had to watch out for. As he was talking he stood up and grabbed a few pillows. He helped Ace sit forward a little and stuffed the pillows behind her shoulders so she could sit up. She scrunched her face as she had to move.

Hershel then began to check her vitals, shining a light into her eyes, listening to her breathing, taking her blood pressure, and all sorts of things. As he did, he kept speaking quietly, informing her how they had to keep her on antibiotics for a while to make sure she could avoid infection. He also was going to keep her on a bag of fluids and some painkillers, although those were going to start running low.

Then he began to ask her to wiggle her toes and move her fingers. Ace stayed quiet the entire time, doing each thing that he asked of her. The last thing he did was have her roll onto her side so he could check her wound and the bandage that covered it.

Once satisfied, Hershel stood up straight and took a step away from the bed. "I know you may not feel hungry, but you need to keep eating and drinking water. I'll go make you a sandwich."

Ace nodded as Hershel turned to leave the room, sliding past Maggie who had just come down to join them. Maggie sent Ace a small smile as she walked in, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Daryl told me what you did," Ace mumbled, glancing at Daryl who still remained in the corner of the room, almost like a shadow.

Maggie smiled a bit but shook her hand, trying to dismiss her. "I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done." Maggie spared a glance to Daryl, but didn't want invade his privacy and kept what he had also done to herself.

Ace shook her head. "You saved my life... I'm good for it."

Maggie smirked to herself. "I know."

Although Hershel could take most, if not all of the credit, for Ace not being dead, Ace still felt a strong sense of respect for Maggie. She was truly thankful, and even though Maggie had said otherwise, not many people would have done that for her. And from what it seemed, Hershel must have thought she was dead. If Maggie wasn't there, Ace might have taken on that role for good.

Hershel came back in shortly after Maggie said goodnight to Ace. He handed her a plate and a new glass of water to add to the bedside table.

"I'm going to get some rest. If anything happens, you know where to find me, but I'll be back first thing in the morning with more antibiotics and a fresh bandage. It's crucial to keep that wound clean and safe from infection," He spoke lightly to Ace. This was the first time there wasn't uncertainty or exhaustion in his voice. He even sent her a bit of an encouraging smile.

"Hershel," Ace spoke out against the silence to get his attention before he left, her voice cracking at the volume. He turned back to face her. "I can't thank you enough, for everythin'." She went back down to a whisper.

Hershel took a step closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. He paused for a moment before he spoke. "Saving a life in a world full of death... Well, there is just nothing more important than that."

Ace looked up at him as he removed his hand, her eyes full of thoughts at what he said. She was trying to grasp his words, only being able to send him a nod in return, still feeling fuzzy. Hershel wished her a good night and then stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Ace kept her eyes on the back of the door, the realization settling in. Her encounters with Hershel over the past week or so have been brief and strictly medical, but now she was able to understand the gravity behind the entire situation. Hershel had tried his hardest, to the best of his ability to save her, for some reason. And he did. And he was right... more death in this world is not something anyone can accept. Hershel may have not been able to save his wife, or those of his family locked up in the barn, but he had the chance with Ace, and although she has been living in misery, she was ever so grateful.

Daryl pushing himself off the corner of the wall grabbed Ace's attention. She watched as he shuffled back over, once again going over to what had become his chair. He sat on the edge, keeping himself propped up. He swiped the hair out of his face and then looked down at his hands. It seemed the gravity of the situation was weighing on him as well.

Silence rang loudly between them for a while, both having no idea what to say. Ace felt stupid saying thank you to him, too. And Ace didn't know what to feel, just as the pain in her body didn't know if it wanted to break through all the drugs or not.

Moments passed until Daryl moved. He sat up a bit and leaned onto his side, his hand reaching in to the back pocket of his worn old pants. His finger tips grabbed onto the photo and slid it out. Without another thought, he held it out, handing it over to Ace.

Ace glanced from him down to the photo in his hands, slowly lifting her arm up to take it from him. Her chest felt heavy as she looked at the photo of Frankie. Just a few weeks ago she was torn apart at the idea that she would never be able to find Frankie, never be able to have the chance. Now... now it seems like she might. This was a lot to take in.

"What now?" Ace spoke quietly, not looking up from the photo.

Daryl lifted his head towards her. This was quite the loaded question. Ace wasn't sure if she was asking Daryl, or asking herself. Neither were sure if it really had an answer. And if it did, neither of them knew it.

That had been the question they have been asking themselves for months. But now it seemed even more trivial. Both of their days had been consumed with Ace's sickness, only being able to think of the present and get through day by day, procedure by procedure. Now, it seemed like they had much more freedom, much more confusion. Ace had never thought past her surgery, never even once expected she might live through it. For how good she is at thinking, planning, and adapting, she was blindsided at the fact that she may have a future.

Would they go back to Daryl's campsite? Would they become more of a part in the group? Would Daryl continue to stay by Ace's side, now that he may not have any reason to? What would become of them, of the group, of Frankie?

"Ya heal," Daryl broke through Ace's thoughts, stating the obvious as sternly as he could. Ace looked up at him. "Then we keep goin' on, like always."

"Me n' you?" Ace couldn't help but ask. She needed some sort of comfort, nearly petrified at what was to come. It was her way of asking if Daryl was going to still stick by her side. For good.

Ace could tell her question had caught Daryl in surprise by the way his eyes flicked over to her and his figure curled in on himself. But he still looked at her.

"Mhm," he nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat, diverting his eyes.

Ace felt warm, accepting this. That was enough.

Ace thought to put the photo in her pocket, but then realized she remained unclothed under the blankets. Almost immediately, she felt heat rise in her face. Quickly after that, she shivered. She only had on her undergarments and the same dark blue hat Daryl had given her. Neither were enough to keep her warm now that she was awake enough to actually experience her surroundings.

Daryl watched Ace with confusion as he saw her face crease and burn up in thoughts. She didn't look over to him as she spoke. "Are there any spare clothes?" No one really thought of such a simple technicality in the stress of Ace's untimely life and death. Ace wished someone had though so she didn't have to face the awkwardness that was soon to come.

Daryl searched around the room with his eyes, trying to avoid the thought of dressing Ace. When he saw nothing he stood. "Be right back," he mumbled.

Ace toyed with the hat on her head as Daryl slipped out of the room. She shifted under the blankets uncomfortably. When alone, she let out a sigh. Although she had always been full of many thoughts, now they seemed to be even more heightened. Being alive meant she had to think.

But for now, she forced herself to start picking at the sandwich Hershel had brought her as she waited for Daryl to return.

Daryl stood outside the room for a moment, questioning if it would be better to ask Maggie or Hershel for some clothes that may actually fit her. To his irritation, it was nearing the middle of the night and he expected everyone was asleep. He would avoid waking them up at all costs. Instead, he left the house and started to head over to his own campsite.

Once there, he ignored the two chairs that sat around the fire and ignored the last moment he spent with Ace here. He cursed under his breath and swiped the flap to his tent open. Once inside, he started digging around, looking for some clothes for Ace to put on. He was getting angry when he couldn't decide what to grab, couldn't decide what would be warm enough or comfortable enough. He didn't know what the hell clothes she liked.

Frustrated, he just picked up a few things and called it good enough. He also stopped to grab some old granola bars he kept near his things, not having ate in a while. He was looking forward to going hunting again, feeling like himself again.

When he returned to the room, Ace glanced over, finishing up the sandwich on her plate. She wasn't hungry, but she forced herself to eat it. With all the medicine she was on, she didn't really feel a thing in her stomach. Couldn't tell if it was hungry or full, but at least she wasn't nauseous anymore. She was just very, very groggy.

Daryl threw the pile of clothes onto the bed along with his granola bars. Ace moved her plate out of the way and grabbed onto one of the shirts, almost in a hurry to be dressed again. What she had grabbed was one of Daryl's button up flannels, light brown in color. She attempted to lift it behind her back, but felt soreness and weakness in her muscles as she did so. She cringed, but kept trying. Once she got it over her back, she was struggling to get her arms into the sleeves.

Daryl let out a huff and sort of stomped over, irritated. He was irritated at the idea of having to help Ace get dressed, this situation not being one of his favorites. He grumbled something under his breath as his blistered hands grabbed onto Ace's arm and helped her slide it in the sleeve. His hand nearly wrapped around her entire arm. Without looking at her, focusing on the shirt, he did the same with the other arm.

Ace pulled the shirt around herself more comfortably, now being able to button it up herself, and kept her eyes away from Daryl, partially awkward. She did all the buttons up to the top. Then, she glanced back to the pile of clothes, seeing an extra pair of Daryl's jeans. They would be baggy on her, thats for sure, and the reason why Daryl was so irritated picking out clothes for her.

Looking at them, Ace wiggled her toes again, barely attempting to move her legs. The feeling that ran up her back when she did was enough to turn her off from the idea of even trying to attempt to put pants on. She especially did not want any help with that. That may have to be a task for tomorrow.

Kind of getting the gist, Daryl moved the rest of the clothes into a pile in the corner of the room. He then went back over to the bed and grabbed his granola bar, opening it up. Ace eyed him as he did.

"You haven't eaten," she noticed, mostly to herself, picking at the IV in her arm. Daryl shrugged it off.

"M'fine."

"Can't imagine ya slept well in that chair again," Ace kept speaking quietly. Once again, Daryl just grumbled "M'fine."

It grew quiet once again and Ace didn't know what to say. She played with the sleeves on the shirt she was wearing. Daryl still stood as he finished eating his granola bar. He could feel Ace's eyes on him, wasting her thoughts worrying about him, probably. Stupid thing to do, worrying about him, after she had just woken up from death. He didn't want her to do that. And he was tired of hearing everyone tell him to eat or sleep or whatever. He wasn't no kid.

He let out a huff. "Fine," he grumbled, kicking off he shoes. "If it'll get all of ya to shut up about it."

He plopped onto the side of the bed that was open, swinging his legs up so he was now sitting parallel to Ace, not very gracefully. He stayed above the covers, all too aware she was half naked.

He grabbed the last free pillow and shoved it behind his shoulders, trying to get comfortable. After what felt like 20 minutes of him fidgeting to get comfortable and cursing at the stupid pillow, he finally found a good position. His back was half propped up on the bed frame, the pillow just above his lower back.

Ace snorted in amusement at Daryl's ungraceful attempt to be comfortable, but also still somewhat in shock that she was actually here right now. Daryl's head snapped over to her. "Wha'?" he asked defensively.

"Nothin'" Ace shook her head, not looking at him.

He squinted at her. "Got somethin' to say?"

Ace had to hold back a smirk. "No."

Daryl kept squinting at her for a moment, but then huffed at turned his head away. "Ya a real pain in the ass, ya know that?"

Now, Ace's smirk broke through. It was a funny statement because of how much of pain in the ass she actually has been. Cancer during this world was the definition of a pain in the ass. But now, nearing the end of it, she was able to smirk at it. It felt so weird.

Daryl glanced at her when he heard her chuckle, and the look on his face had Ace's laugh nearly roaring out. "Sorry," she bit back her laughter, only having it rumble more out of her chest. "Might be high on pain killers."

Daryl snorted back at her, nearly rolling his eyes. But it was hard for her laughter not to bring up his mood as well. For the second time, he felt hope again.

Daryl and Ace ended up falling into a comfortable silence, despite all the things that could have made them feel uncomfortable at this moment. Nonetheless, they sat there, Ace looking ahead and Daryl resting his eyes, both somewhat satisfied that they were able to mess around with each other, and somewhat reflecting on what the hell had happened.

"I shouldn't be alive," Ace spoke very quietly before she even realized she was, her mood nearly shifting in the opposite direction. She had the tendency to let thoughts slip out sometimes, there were just so many in her head to keep track of all the time.

This time, Daryl wasn't very phased by her words. Maybe he was just tired, or maybe now that she was actually alive, it didn't sting or give him that sinking feeling in his gut anymore. He shifted in the bed, lifting his arm up to put under his head to give him something to rest on, not opening up his eyes. "But ya are alive, ain't nothin' more to it. Best not think too much about why."

For some reason these words resonated deeply within Ace. Of course she could never stop thinking, but the simplicity of the words Daryl spoke were something she needed to hear. On top of that, this might have been the most words Daryl has spoken to her in quite a while. It was refreshing, in a way, not to be confused by his distance or his grunts or how he was acting. Yes, there was a lot more to be confused about, but at least some of the normalcy between the two was returning.

Normal was all Ace had been dreaming for the past few weeks.

And it seemed like Daryl, lying next to her and talking with her had become the normal she had adapted to. It seemed like Daryl may be becoming her normal.

But more importantly than this, not being sick anymore was going to become normal. Ace had survived.


	61. The Fire Inside

Although Daryl was exhausted, he had a hard time falling asleep when he was this close to Ace. It felt strange, weirdly different now. Now that Ace had asked him if it was 'me n' you'.

Daryl kept his eyes shut, pretending he was resting the whole time, not fully capable of dealing with it right now.

Luckily Ace didn't push him, mostly for she lost consciousness quickly after she had gained it. But then it was when Daryl felt pressure on his side, that his eyes snapped open. His initial reaction was for his muscles to clench and jerk away, but then when he looked down to see Ace completely passed out, he relaxed them a bit. She wasn't awake to witness what she was doing.

She slept on her side, her face nearly pressed against Daryl's torso. It was her arm that had alarmed him, moving to wrap around his. Although, when he jerked away, it only made Ace's hand curl around him harder.

Daryl gulped, glancing around the room, even taking a moment to look out the window and make sure no one was awake. Looking back down, she had her arm linked around his, nearly a death grip on the fabric of his shirt.

He thought about pulling away, but then realized it might make her move more and she could hurt her back. He didn't want to disturb her, and was still so shocked at the way she clung to him that he didn't move a muscle. He sat like a stone statue, but his heart was racing so hard it was irritating him. He almost worried she would be able to feel it and it would wake her.

He couldn't wake her up. Then he would have to deal with this. He couldn't face her.

In his mind, Daryl equated it to her being high on pain meds. Thats why she was doing this. Thats how he could deal with it.

He grew irritated that he wouldn't be able to get any rest tonight, not with Ace this close to him. But he still didn't move, no matter how badly he wanted to escape. He decided he would wait until morning, before she woke up, to leave. He could wait until morning.

He tried to keep is attention away from her, keeping his eyes closed to calm himself down. But he kept peaking his eyes open, something about him interested at the sleeping form next to him.

He felt a bit more comfortable looking at her now that she had been asleep for a minute, meaning she wasn't going to wake up soon. There were a couple times she would shift, her grip flexing on his shirt, making his heart accelerate into his throat, but she didn't budge.

It was less confusing when she was asleep. He didn't have to overthink so hard, and neither did she. This was the only time the crease on her forehead from how her thoughts would always scrunch up her face wasn't present.

Without thinking, Daryl reached his free hand to lightly touch that spot on her forehead where the crease would be. When she didn't shoot away from his touch, he huffed.

All the regrets that had been bothering him the past few days were still running around his mind. Although maybe he didn't need to regret now that she was here, he was still afraid he would always have them. He let this girl get close to him, and if the past month wasn't proof enough, the undead world out there reminded him how dangerous that was. Having someone close was dangerous. Everyday was another chance something could happen.

And Daryl grew angry that the only time he was comfortable was when she was asleep. He would never get to the point where he wouldn't have regret or guilt.

\---

The next morning, Ace was surprised that she woke up again. It seemed like every time she woke it was a surprise, not being dead.

She must have slept in late, for when she started to come to, Daryl was no longer in the bed. He wasn't to be found in the room.

Ace licked her lips, trying to soothe how chapped they were but ignore how badly she needed to brush her teeth. She attempted to shift under the blankets and move her body, but let out a gasp at the pain that immediately radiated throughout her.

She was stiff from sleeping half-sitting up, in an ungodly uncomfortable position, and also it had seemed that the pain killers had started to wear off. Ace groaned aloud, putting a hand on her side. She was afraid to touch her back, but tried to squeeze at her hip to soothe some of the pain.

It didn't work. She gulped, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to breathe. She was biting at her tongue as she attempted to move her legs so she could shift away some of the pain. It didn't help.

Ace let her head fall back against the bed frame in agony, panting. The only thing that was running through her head was _fuck_ as she gripped at her side. She kept her eyes closed, trying to keep track of slowly breathing in and out, but even the breaths made pain spike on her back, shooting down her legs. She wished she had like a bell or something to annoy Hershel with so he could get his ass in here. Although, she probably would feel bad if she had to do that, not wanting to drag attention or annoyance on to her shoulders.

Ace felt sweat break out on her forehead, dripping down from the top of the hat. She wasn't even hot, hell, it was cold out!

She could hear lots of commotion outside the room, lots of people talking. She was getting as close to start to pray for someone to come in her room, which was not something she had ever done. But fuck, she needed pain killers.

She was starting to work up the energy and saliva in her dry throat to call out for someone when luckily she heard footsteps get closer to her room. To Ace's relief, there was a light knock on the door. Ace couldn't even remember how to speak she was in so much pain, so she just let out a groan. It came out hoarsely as her voice cracked and she hoped whoever was at the door heard her.

Luckily, the person did. But to her surprise, it was Lori that opened up the door. Lori almost had shock on her face as she saw Ace for the second time since before her treatment started. Especially now as Ace looked an absolute wreck. But she couldn't get far before Ace was snapping. She was in so much pain she was beginning to get angry, but she didn't necessarily mean to take it out on Lori.

"Pain killers," Ace snapped in a breathy tone nearly a second after Lori opened the door. Ace didn't care to think why the woman was here, she only cared about this agony getting some relief.

Lori's eyes widened a bit and it took her a second to understand. When she did, she didn't say another word and hurriedly scurried out of the room to go find Hershel.

Ace squeezed her eyes closed again as she waited, time going by agonizingly slow. Her head throbbed and she scrunched her face, trying once again to shift some of the pain away. Where the hell was Daryl at?

Ace could hear footsteps approaching again and opened her eyes. Hershel came in, looking himself again with suspenders on just as usual. Ace couldn't help but glare as he came to her, holding pills in his hands.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, not stopping his movements as he came over to Ace, unscrewing the pill bottles. Ace thought that it should be obvious how she was feeling, she felt like shit! "Pain," was all Ace grumbled, trying to get on with it. She felt only partially bad for being so rude, but the pain was clouding her mind. At least Hershel understood.

Hershel held out some pills to her and Ace didn't hesitate to shove them down her throat. Hershel then handed her a glass of water, which she immediately took to wash it all down. She took a few extra gulps, hoping it would also soothe her throat.

"I'll get you started on another bag of fluids, then we will change your bandage," Hershel said, starting to hook up a new IV bag to the rack. Ace kept steadying her breathing, knowing it would take a minute for any of the painkillers to kick in. She was at least now able to feel thankful that Daryl was able to get so much medical supplies for her. She only wasted a few thoughts of guilt on how much was wasted on her.

As Hershel poked her with a new IV, Ace glanced around his shoulder. The door to the room was left open and she was able to see almost the entirety of the group inside. The were coming in and out of the house, moving in tubs and boxes and backpacks of their things. They were almost completely moved in.

"T-Dog made some eggs, I'll bring you a plate. We can wait for the pain killers to kick in before changing your bandage," Hershel got Ace's attention. All Ace could spare was a nod, still entirely focused on how her body felt like it was on fire. When Hershel left, Ace put her head back on the bed frame. It was cool against the back of her neck, giving her the tinniest moment of relief.

She let her eyes open back up, looking for something to distract her as she waited for the drugs to kick in. She ended up looking out the sliver of the window that was not covered by the curtains. To her surprise, she saw Daryl outside, by where the group's camp used to be set up, speaking to Rick.

He had his vest on, crossbow in its position on his back. He looked himself again. Well rested, less agonized by what was going on in his head... Normal. The most shocking thing was seeing him interact with the group again, like a normal person. I guess they both were going to start doing that more, having to retake their part in this group.

It was just strange for Ace to see him doing so. It was strange to remember how to interact with the group and the problems that came along with them. Ace had ignored a lot of what was going on, such as the Randal situation, the drama with Shane, what happened with Carol, even the recent lost of her companion Dale.

Ace was curious what they were speaking about. It had to be some plan or something by the way Rick stood with his hand on his hip, his other one being used as he spoke. That was always how he looked when he was talking business.

Ace felt a little bit of worry as she watched Daryl interact with him, looking like a member of the group again. She was stupid to worry that he would become more integrated with them now and less with her. But she shook off the thought when Maggie came in, placing a light knock on the door, carrying some fabric in her arms.

"I brought you some of my clothes, they should fit you pretty well," Maggie said, setting the pile down on the bed next to Ace.

Ace sent her a small smile through her pain, internally grateful that she wouldn't have to walk around in Daryl's baggy jeans and that she didn't have to go through the situation of asking for anything. Maggie returned the smile and was going to leave to give Ace some space, but noticed the look on her face. Maggie followed Ace's eyes to see her sneaking glances out the window at Daryl. Maggie had to hide her sly smile.

"We're all excited to have you two back with us," Maggie broke the silence, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

Ace nodded, only glancing to her for a second before looking down at the sheets she was fidgeting with. Thats what she was worried about. She was an idiot for worrying about it, but she also wasn't stupid. She was able to pick up on how uncomfortable things had been feeling. She was afraid Daryl was doing to distance himself from her now.

When Ace's eyes looked back through the window to watch Daryl's back, Maggie came to sit down on the edge of the bed, making Ace finally divert her eyes to her.

"You know," Maggie started. "I've never seen Daryl act like that."

Ace looked up to her quizzically, not understanding.

Maggie gave a soft smile. "He thought you were dead." Even though Ace knew that, the way Maggie said it carried more weight that Daryl wasn't letting on. "I mean, we all did, but Daryl... it was hard for me to believe he would ever be nice to someone, let alone _like_ them."

Ace was stuck on Maggie, trying to take in her words, but simply not being able to. Sometimes it was so difficult for her to understand what the rest of the group saw. She had never considered more than what was blatantly right in front of her.

"Theres something between you two," Maggie stated and partially questioned, leaning towards Ace.

Maggie was worried she went too far. Everyone knew not to bring up anything about Ace and Daryl, and yet she just did it straight to Ace. Maybe it was because Maggie thought too Ace wouldn't be around for very long, and she wasn't sure of what was going on until she saw how Daryl reacted. She just hoped she had gained Ace's trust enough to speak on this. She knew if Ace was at her full strength, Maggie might end up like Carol with a knife against her throat.

Luckily, Ace didn't have a negative reaction. She wasn't like Daryl in that way. She wasn't afraid to speak about it or admit it, just was afraid Daryl would get mad at her for doing so. Ace huffed, glancing back to Daryl out the window. It wasn't Ace's fault he was so confusing. "I'm not sure what," Ace hummed back to Maggie.

Maggie was able to see the worry on Ace's face as she looked out at Daryl. Although Ace wasn't even aware of it herself, Maggie was able to pick up on it. "Give him some time, he will come around," Maggie smiled fully now. "He probably just needs to figure out what he is doing."

Ace nodded as a natural reaction, but was distracted. She had given Daryl so much time and space to figure out what he was doing and yet, Ace was still left confused with him. She knew that now she had more time, her days not nearly as numbered, but it still agitated her. She wanted to push Daryl, but was afraid he would get too uncomfortable and distance himself from her for good.

Maggie patted the top of Ace's hand and stood, Ace only sending a small, weak smile to her. With a kind look on her face Maggie turned to leave, then headed off to help Glenn move his things into her room.

Ace didn't even have time to consider the madness in her head before Hershel came back into the room, carrying breakfast.

Hershel got Ace's attention and pointed to the eggs he brought, signaling, or more so demanding, her to eat. Ace huffed as she grabbed the food, cringing as the pain radiated through her body more as she moved. She bit her lip and brought the eggs closer to her as Hershel started to get ointment and a new bandage ready.

Ace had to pause to take a deep breath before she attempted to eat, trying to stomach all the pain that was making her want to throw up. She was nearly covered in sweat trying to deal with the fire inside her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOoooof holy shit, I just unloaded all of these chapters super fast. I didn't leave many notes on any of them, just wanted to get everything up!!! Nonetheless, please interact however you chose, I love to hear it.
> 
> I have a few more chapters written out that I need to edit, but will continue posting very soon! The cancer arch was the main plot point for these first 60 effin chapters, so now things are going to free up a bit. Now Daryl and Ace's relationship will have to be the main story arch, wohoo. Let me know what you think, I'll do my best to interact more!


	62. First Time Apart

"Take 'em out to Senoia. Hour there, hour back, give or take," Rick pointed at a map laid out on the porch railing. Daryl was hunched over, hands resting on the railing as he looked over the old map that once belonged to Ace, occasionally squinting at the bruise on Rick's head. "We may lose the light, but we'll be halfway home by then."

Daryl had left Ace's room the second the sun threatened to come up this morning. He nearly broke his back trying to slide as carefully out of her grip as possible, but then only paused for a second before escaping the house. 

He was trying to escape the grip she had on him, but no matter how much distance he put in between them it didn't help. He thought going back to his site, combing the woods along the perimeter would make him feel more like himself, but he couldn't get a grasp on it. 

Daryl knew he hadn't spent a second being able to imagine what would happen after Ace's surgery, but he had thought he would figure it out. Now, he feels like a good for nothing, not even able to work up to going back into the house to see her.

He figured she would still be asleep, and didn't feel as guilty now that she was doing better. Daryl had wanted to be alone, but Rick wasted no time when the sun came up to find Daryl. It seemed Rick had been waiting for Ace to feel better, too, so he could get Daryl back with him. 

Daryl had agreed to go with Rick to drop off Randal. Further this time. Daryl had paused for a moment, glancing back to the house, but figured this is what he had to do. Rick n' Shane were at odds more than ever, and Daryl needed to help out to get his mind right. 

Daryl pushed himself up from the railing, shuffling over to sit on the edge of the porch railing. "This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory," Daryl grumbled. "Good riddance."

Daryl hadn't thought too hard about what the group had been up to lately, but Randal being locked in the barn feet away seemed to stick to the back of his head the whole time. It was another threat, another danger that bothered him. Too close to Ace in her condition.

And he was sick of the edge it put on the group. It had lasted this long cause they couldn't figure out what the hell to do. 

"Carol's putting together some provisions for him, enough to last a few days," Rick stood, folding up the map. Daryl squinted at him, not having much of a response to that. Seemed a waste.

Rick shifted in his boots for a moment. "How is she?"

Daryl glanced up, seeing as Rick nodded his head in the direction of the house. Daryl rested his hands on his hips, nodding a bit as he looked down. Rick understood that enough to know that Ace was fine.

"They're stronger than us on our best days, aren't they?" Rick looked off to the distance. Daryl followed his eyes as he spotted Lori out by the watch station. "They're smarter than us, too," Rick looked back to Daryl.

Daryl squinted at him, not following what he was implying from that last part. 

"Especially Ace," Rick leaned against the white column of the porch. Daryl went silent, which made Rick sigh and signal around them. "I've seen the way she looks at everyone, like she is figuring us out."

Daryl looked down, knowing all too well that is what she did. He just didn't get the point and he could tell Rick had some type'a motive. It was irritating, the way these people always talked, never just said it. "Whats ya point? Spit it out."

"I've seen what she's done for you," Rick got a bit more serious now. "And she is going to figure you out, Daryl. It's best you do first, or you will just leave her with more bruises."

If Daryl's face could scrunch anymore it would. He instantly wanted to revolt, knowing damn well he would love to figure it out. But he's got nothing, and the pressure the group puts on him only makes it more irritating. He hated that the group had to give him comments, hated that they witnessed anything. Its what left Daryl with all this regret. And he hated the way it was assumed Daryl would bruise her, but he hadn't ever thought about it more deeper than physical. He didn't think Ace could get bruised, but it was that possibility alone that was haunting him. 

"I'm supposed'ta be taking relationship advice from you?" Daryl's draw bit out. Just as none had spoke of Ace and Daryl, none spoke of Lori and Shane. But Daryl was all too irritated to not snap at him.

"The way I see it," Rick pushed himself up so he was standing straight. "My mistakes might make me the best to give advice."

Daryl snorted, looking away. "She ain't my wife," Daryl grumbled.

"I know," Rick nodded. "And I know it's not my place."

"But?" Daryl was waiting for it.

"But you two obviously mean something to each other. Probably better to figure out what sooner than later."

Rick and Daryl looked at each other for a moment, before Daryl looked away and started to gnaw on his cheek. He had known this, but it stressed him out even more to hear other people telling him. It didn't give him any answers. Gave him more stress knowing the group was watching him.

Rick stepped forward when Daryl didn't respond, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "We've missed having you around," he spoke generally but it was obvious it was more so from Rick. Daryl just nodded.

And it was Shane's car coming down the dirt road that made that even clearer. 

Daryl glanced behind his shoulder to Shane, who slammed the door behind him and shuffled towards them. Daryl stood up, ignoring the jarhead, knowing whatever he had to say was for Rick.

Rick glanced once more at Daryl, about to say something else before he headed off, but was interrupted by commotion coming from inside the house. At this point, Daryl's ears must have been tuned to Ace's voice, because he quickly was able to make out her discomfort. 

"I'll grab you soon," Rick nodded, letting Daryl grab his crossbow and rush into the house.

\--

"Alright," Hershel announced. "You are going to need to lean forward."

Hershel handed her a pillow to put on her lap to lean onto, to which Ace took and gripped onto harshly as she started to move. Her pain was starting to reside but it was still very present.

Ace's face scrunched as she pushed herself up and leaned forward onto the pillow. She could feel the skin on her back stretch and pull at the wound as she did, making her sweat more. She kept her eyes straight, looking to the foot of the bed, as Hershel hiked up her shirt to reveal the old bandage.

Hershel started to peel the bandage away, making Ace cringe as it tugged on her skin. She remained still, just gripping onto the pillow.

Ace felt a little bit more relief as Hershel started to clean the wound, the cold water feeling nice on her hot skin. But she knew that alcohol was coming.

"This may sting a little," Hershel offered, pouring some alcohol onto a towel and then pressing it onto her back. Ace bit her lip harshly and bowed her head again, almost burying it into the pillow. But when she felt the absolute burn from the whiskey, she let out a loud groan, seething into the pillow.

"Hold on," Hershel encouraged, but Ace was nearly shaking from the pain. It started to dull from the initial impact, but as Hershel moved the towel around her wound, she buried her head further into the pillow to suppress her cries. Her throat ached at the way they ripped out of her.

Ace peaked her eyes open and glanced up from the pillow as she heard footsteps once again come near her room. She nearly was glaring at Daryl as he walked in. If he had been here this morning she could've gotten pain killers a lot earlier and been done with this agony already. She knew that she was just taking the pain out into anger, she wasn't thinking rationally.

Daryl was able to immediately recognize how shitty she looked, getting him to slow as he approached her bed. "How is she?" he grumbled, asking Hershel.

"I'm right here," Ace snapped lowly. Daryl was almost shocked at the anger in her voice, she usually was so quiet and lately he had gotten so used to it. But he squinted at her in response.

"In a lot of pain it seems," Hershel tried to get between them, trying to ease Ace's anger. He didn't need her getting worked up and didn't need Daryl getting worked up, thus making Ace more upset. Neither could imagine the pain she was feeling. "Pain killers should kick in any minute now," Hershel spoke calmly. He was good at being calm. Lucky for him he distracted Ace for the rest of the cleaning, and now was able to stand up and remove the towel.

Daryl and Ace held eye contact. Neither were actually angry at each other. Ace was just suffering and Daryl was too sensitive to the girl when she was hurt to actually get mad. And it was Ace. Any other person in the group spoke to him like that, he would've bit their head off. But not Ace. Instead, he just walked over to the chair to sit down. He sat up taller than usual, not being as exhausted mentally or physically. He seemed himself again. But the words Rick spoke to him wouldn't shut the hell up.

Ace almost felt jealous, not nearly to being herself yet. Although she survived, she still felt partially defeated.

Daryl glanced to Ace for a second more but then looked back at her wound as Hershel finished up cleaning it with cream. It was red, raw, and angry, making him squint a little. At least it didn't look infected.

Ace released her grip on the pillow a little when Hershel started to apply some ointment, that also soothing the pain a bit. After that, Hershel applied the new bandage and tucked her shirt back down. Ace let out a sigh, sitting back up.

"Maybe a day or two more rest and you should be fine to start doing some walking exercises. As long as you don't do any rigorous movements, simple recovery shouldn't take very long," Hershel informed her as he started to clean up all the stuff. Ace liked the sound of that, but knew how this recovery went. She would be able to walk on her own again in some days, but would still be weak, limping, and in pain for a couple of weeks. It would take a while for her full strength to return. Not to mention she has lost a lot of muscle mass and weight the past couple of weeks.

"Thank you," Ace mumbled, sitting back into a resting position. She felt exhaustion run over her again.

"Of course," Hershel nodded and turned to step out of the room, needing to go wash his hands.

Ace didn't look over to Daryl right away, just trying to relax her breathing now that the pain killers were acting upon her. Daryl was the first to speak to break the silence.

"Rick wants me to go with him to take the kid out today," Daryl informed, not looking up yet, speaking of Randal. He was unsure Ace's reaction, hell he was unsure how he felt about leaving. But rather him go than Shane, that was something Ace could understand.

Ace looked over to him, thinking for a moment. It seemed he was finding his place back in the group. She just wished she could go with them. They were a team after all, weren't they? "I should go," Ace mumbled, looking down at the IV in her arm. She wasn't really asking to go, just kind of accepting the defeat that she won't be able to. It be the first time Daryl was going on a run without her.

"Ya be outta here soon," Daryl sat back a little bit, now looking over to her. Ace just simply nodded, not speaking in return.

Ace turned her head to look out the door that Hershel had left a crack open. The group was now moving in, she'd get out of this room but most likely have to join the rest of the group in the living room. This bed would probably be given to Rick, Lori, and Carl. Lori was pregnant after all, no one would have her sleeping on the floor. Ace would feel bad about it too.

Ace pondered where she would be sleeping for a second, knowing no one would let Daryl keep his campsite up far away. She then wondered where Daryl would sleep. What about Carol? The woman might kill Ace in her sleep.

It was weird to think about herself cozy with the rest of the group. Being a part of the people who really didn't mind not being apart of Ace's life. Andrea, Carol, whomever. It was just weird to start thinking about these mundane issues again, weird to be thinking about life when Ace was so certain she wouldn't have to again.

Ace sighed and looked back to Daryl, who was already looking over at her. Both shared a moment of mutual thoughts, but then grew a little flustered. Now they would have to face what the hell they were going to do and what the hell they were in the first place. At least neither of them were going to bring it up in conversation. Maybe Daryl would just strategically place his cot near Ace, but far enough that no one would think anything of it.

"Got'bout an hour before we head out," Daryl broke their eye contact. He scratched at his chin a bit, glancing around the room. He didn't know what to say or what to do at the moment, he was trying to figure it the hell out. He could see the concern and anger on Ace's face about him going on a run without her. He was trying not to focus on that. He didn't want to bruise her like Rick said.

There was only one idea that he had that wouldn't make him feel more strange, so he stood up and walked over to the bedside table. He opened up the drawer and pulled out the deck of cards, holding it up for Ace to see.

Ace rolled her eyes but nodded, accepting that it was a good idea of something to do that wasn't going to have either of them feeling weird.

Daryl sat back down in his seat and started to deal cards on the open space of the bed. Ace shifted a little bit.

They didn't speak much to each other as they played, just simply focused on the task at hand. Ace struggled a little bit focusing on the cards, feeling weakness pick at her body and exhaustion play on her mind.

The played for a good while, both ignoring the fact that Daryl was about to leave to drive an hour out with their prisoner. No one had been off the farm in a while, not really sure what it was like out there. Ace and Daryl had been in this room for so long dealing with her sickness that they almost forgot how much more death and sickness was out in the world. They had been protected here.

They both kept sneaking glances at the other. Daryl always looked away quickly, afraid that she was figuring him out like Rick had said.

After they played for about an hour, T-Dog stopped inside of the room, grinning as he said hello to Ace. Ace always was a little surprised that T-Dog gave a shit about her, but she was past the point of thinking too much about it. T-Dog was never problematic and never crossed any weird boundaries. He only stayed for a couple minutes, saying that he was happy she was up so her and Daryl could go hunting again and bring him back some deer to cook with.

Before T-Dog left he mentioned that he was about to go grab Randal from the barn. Ace and Daryl just nodded to him and then glanced at each other once he left. It seemed the game was over. Through their eye contact, they started communicating silently, just like always.

After a moment, Daryl looked away and huffed as he pushed himself up from the chair. "Should be back around dark," he mumbled, scratching the top of his head. Back before dark if everything went okay. Ace was skeptical. Daryl was a bit, too. He wouldn't admit it, but he felt uneasy leaving. He blamed it on his exhaustion and the group's chickenshit ways, rather than admitting he wasn't pleased about leaving Ace. He had been stuck on this farm for a while, he had gone soft.

Daryl made eye contact with her one last time.

Ace heart started to race at the idea of him going out there. It was too soon. They had just survived her cancer, he didn't need to be running out now. What if something happened? Ace couldn't come looking for him. 

But Ace also knew Daryl, this is what he needed, this is what he does. He can take care of himself. Ace just wanted to come with.

Daryl opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, but hadn't figured out what it was yet. But, he didn't have to, for as he was about to speak, he suddenly stopped. Ace's ears perked and she sat up a little bit, hearing lots of commotion come from outside. She moved to look around Daryl's back to the window, seeing people running into the house.

"Missing?! What do you mean missing?"

Ace could hear Lori's voice in a panic. Daryl took a second to glance back to Ace, both of them looking at each other with confusion and worry. He looked at Ace with a question in his eyes.

"Go," Ace nodded, pushing him to leave and go investigate.

Daryl then held out a hand to her before hurrying out of the room over to the group that stood by the entrance of the house. Ace was cursing inwardly, trying her best to see and hear from the bed, but to her dismay her hearing was getting drowned out by the ringing in her head. She fell too horrible to deal with something like this right now.

Daryl approached Rick and T-Dog, who was frantically running a hand over his head. The entire group was there, everyone asking questions worriedly. "What's going on?" Andrea questioned.

"Randal's gone, he's not in there," T-Dog stated, pointing back at the farm. Without another word, Rick pushed outside and started rushing over to the farm. Everyone followed after him, including Daryl who now pulled his crossbow off his back and held it ready to go.

Ace's mind was running a mile a minute. She had heard what T-Dog said but felt completely helpless stuck in this bed. She took a moment to think, now that everyone had left the house. She had no idea what was going on and it was driving her insane. Her head was throbbing uncontrollably.

She counted to three in her head and then sucked in a big breath. With all of her might she leaned forward and attempted to shove her legs off the bed. She let out a breathy groan, huffing heavily as she tried to move her sore body for the first time in days. She would be damned if she would be stuck in here right now. But hell, her body was not making it easy for her.

Ace stopped to catch her breath when she got her legs to dangle off the bed. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on her backpack next to the bed. Quickly, she reached down, feeling her back ache and world spin as she did, and grabbed it. She pulled out her gun that was inside and grabbed her knife that was sitting on the bedside table.

With the weapons back in her hands, almost instantly she was alert again. Through all the stiffness and pain in her body, she was alarmed and able to regain her heightened senses.

Before she could even attempt to move again, she saw the group rushing back past her window, more commotion following. "Get everyone back inside!" Rick called out. "Glenn, Daryl, come with us."

Ace almost groaned aloud at the idea of not being able to go out there with Daryl. She still didn't even know what the hell was going on, only that Randal was missing and they must be going to look for him. Fuck. She even felt anger for a moment at Rick for making Daryl go out there.

The group re-entered the house. Ace turned to look at them, hoping to grab one of their attentions. Luckily, T-Dog came right over and into her room, the door being left open. He spoke right away. "He slipped his cuffs. Shane went to grab him, said Randal got the jump on him and stole his gun, ran off into the woods."

Immediately Ace was thinking. Shane. Randal got the jump on Shane? That kid that was hurt, recently just crying and begging for his life to Daryl when he interrogating him?

"We should just let him go. That was the plan wasn't it? To just let him go," Carol spoke from the other room. Ace could hear her and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Even _IF_ Randal had gotten the jump on Shane, he was a threat this close to them, armed. Ace could help but smell foul play in the situation. And Daryl was out there.

"I got get out there," Ace mumbled, starting to brace herself to move again.

T-Dog came over, holding his hands out. "No, you can't."

Ace ignored him and put her hand on the bed to help push herself up. Her arms wobbled, weaker than ever before. T-Dog rushed over and stood directly in front of her, blocking her so she would stay down.

"I'm sorry, but Dixon would kill me if I let you go anywhere," T-Dog said as kindly as he could while still trying to get through to her. Ace was stubborn as hell. Daryl and her were a team and he was out there with _Shane_. Ace was more worried about him than Randal.

The rest of the group was locking up the house and shutting the blinds. Ace ignored it all and still tried to get up. T-Dog was unsure of what to do.

Then Maggie came in her room and walked over to them. "You'll tear your stitches," Maggie announced as she walked in. Ace ignored that too.

Maggie came to stand in front of Ace as well. "You go out there hurt like this you'll only make it worse," she was talking sternly. She was the only one that would be stern like this to Ace. Ace glanced up at her, still glaring over so they would both get out of her way. She was ready to fight anyone in her way of getting to Daryl. "You won't be able to get far, won't be able to catch up with them. It will get dark soon."

Ace looked down, thinking as hard as she possibly could. All of her instincts were telling her to go out there, but her body was revolting against all of that. Even though everything inside of her had to go out there with Daryl and help, she was smart enough to think through how it wasn't the best idea. She had no idea how strong she was and how far she could get, like Maggie said. And if she did make it, Daryl would only be angry and obsessed about yelling at her and getting her back. It be a distraction. Ace was smarter and better at planning than this.

Ace ran her hand over her face, gripping onto her hat, breathing heavy.

"Glenn's out there, too," Maggie offered, her voice calming down. Ace now met eyes with her. Maggie was communicating something more. She knew how much Ace hated Daryl being out there without her. Maggie also knew his was her way of relating to Ace, knowing that those two had a connection similar to her and Glenn's.

"If they aren't back soon I'll go look for them," T-Dog now cut in. "Bring Jimmy and Andrea with me."

Ace looked between the two, now feeling completely defeated. All she did was nod.

Maggie sighed. "Come on," she signaled Ace to get back into bed. Ace was so caught up in her thoughts and her plans that she did so, thinking past the pain it caused.

T-Dog left the room to go speak with the rest of the group, sparing a worried glance back at Ace.

When Ace sat back in bed, Maggie walked across to the other side and grabbed the pair of jeans she brought for her and handed them over. Ace took them and pushed the blankets back. Maggie saw her face contort in pain and the IV bag that was now empty.

"I'll bring you some food and something more for the pain," Maggie spoke. Ace nodded a thank you before Maggie was turning on her heal and leaving the room. It seemed the mutual respect between the two was growing, both being very similar.

Ace struggled to get the jeans on, it taking her way more time than it should. But she needed to be dressed and ready to go in case anything happened. She kept telling herself that, but she couldn't ignore how awful she felt. Simply just trying to get up from bed had her back reacting in the most harmful way.

Ace had to lift her legs to slide them into the pant hole, shimmying the fabric up her body. When she got them to right below her butt, she stopped. She sucked in a deep breath before squeezing her eyes shut and having to use her lower back to lift herself up to pull the jeans up to her hips. A quiet groan slipped out of her lips from the way her contorting muscles pulled at her back. She was starting to sweat again, starting to ache in every bone.

Ace didn't know if she could be ready for what was happening. She couldn't even put pants on easily. This was a foreign feeling to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still just pumping out some chapters! Cheers x


	63. Can't Go On Without You

When Maggie returned, she handed Ace a plate of hash that they had cooked up just prior to all the commotion. She set a pill bottle and more water down on the table.

"Can I?" Maggie asked, signaling with her hand that she wanted to feel Ace's forehead, probably noticing her pale face. Ace simply nodded.

Maggie sighed, "you're still warm."

"Hershel said its not infected," Ace spoke, referring to her wound.

"You still need to rest," Maggie offered, knowing in full how difficult that would be during this situation right now.

Ace huffed out a sarcastic laugh. She wasn't going to be able to rest. Instead, her mind was running a mile a minute. She was starting to plan, trying to adapt and be alert as well as she could. She looked to Maggie, thoughts rolling across her features. "Get someone on watch at every window, upstairs and downstairs," Ace chewed over her thoughts. "Then come back in here, bring guns. Two sniper rifles."

Maggie looked at her for a moment, but then started to nod. "Good idea. I'll go tell them. Stay put."

Ace let out a long breath as Maggie left. She could faintly hear Maggie talking to the rest of the group and could hear some annoying remarks from the others. Ace ignored it and waited for Maggie to come back, violently squeezing her eyes closed to will away the agony and to get her head to stop spinning.

When Maggie returned, she carried the two rifles at her side, a box of ammo stuffed in her back pocket. She set them down on the bed before walking over to the window in the room, understanding Ace's plan before Ace had to even say it. That was most likely why the two got along, Ace liked that Maggie was capable of thinking and planning on her own.

Maggie opened up the window, but kept the blinds down. She only tilted them open just enough for the two to see out, but if anyone tried to look in they'd only be able to see the floor. Maggie then walked back to the bed. Ace had already reached and grabbed a gun, checking to make sure it was loaded and then propping it on her lap. Maggie sat in the chair next to the bed, turning so it was facing the window as well and setting the rifle across her legs.

They both sat, looking out the window, eyes guiding over their view of the farm, looking for anything to dare pop out at them. If Randal was smart, he wouldn't approach the front of the house. But who knows if he is smart. And who knows if its Randal or Shane they should be keeping an eye out for.

The two sat in silence, occasionally peering out of the scopes of the guns to look further out the window. Both also were waiting for Rick, Glenn, and Daryl to walk back across.

As time passed, Ace set the gun down on her lap and grabbed the food Maggie brought. Before she ate, she shoved more pills in her mouth and chased them down with water. She felt like absolute shit, but she had to remain conscious.

"You think he really got the jump on Shane?" Maggie asked, still peering down the scope of her gun.

"No," Ace didn't even have to think about it, stating that very simply. She took another bite of her food almost nonchalantly. Maggie glanced over at her, worry creasing her face. She trusted Ace's opinion, meaning that Ace's answer was not good news.

"He's out there with them. With Glenn," Maggie's face contorted into something resembling anger, gripping onto her gun tighter. After what Shane did to the barn, Maggie had only bad feelings toward that man.

"Daryl knows," Ace stated through all her thoughts. It was as if there was a knowledge her and Daryl shared that no one else was privy to, especially not Maggie. Ace just knew that Daryl wasn't stupid enough to believe Shane's story, they both had established he was nothing good a long time ago.

Maggie looked to Ace once more, but this time didn't say anything. Ace's words brought a little bit of relief to Maggie, happy that at least Daryl was out there with Glenn.

They sat there in silence a little bit longer until the sun started its decent in the sky. "It's getting dark," Maggie said, more so to herself. She was extremely anxious and was questioning how Ace was remaining so calm. Little did she know, Ace was far from calm. Thoughts were bombarding her head like the plague. Nothing was worse than being stuck in this bed, unable to do anything. But she felt too weak, too much pain to have any other reaction than to sit here and stare out the window. All she could do was be alert.

It was almost perfect timing when there was loud footsteps stomping up the front steps. Maggie immediately stood as one of the group members unlocked the door, letting Daryl and Glenn into the house. Maggie hurried out of the room over to them.

"Rick an' Shane ain't back yet?" Daryl asked, looking around with confusion and irritation. Ace felt relief rush over her at the sound of that familiar southern drawl.

When the group responded no, everyone started to ask questions. Daryl instantly looked over to Ace's room, meeting her eyes through the open doorway. She looked like shit, but at the same time still managed to look alert, holding a gun up steady.

"We heard a shot," Glenn informed them as Daryl started to slowly walk over to Ace.

"Maybe they found Randal?" Lori spoke.

"Nah, we found him," Daryl said over his shoulder, still eyes locked with Ace. He was speaking to her in a way, but making his voice loud enough so he could speak to the group as well. "Was a walker."

Ace sat up a bit, as much as she could, looking at Daryl intently. She once again had a moment of anger over the fact Dale died for nothing.

The group started to ask questions. Did they find the walker that bit him? Did they kill him? Fight?

"We couldn't find a bite," Glenn said, shuffling on his feet.

"His neck was broke," Daryl looked back at Ace. They both already knew what had happened, but Daryl had to lay it out for the rest of the group. "The thing is, Shane an' Randal's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker. He didn't come up behind him. They were together."

Ace cursed in her head. She knew it was Shane, knew he was the problem. Knew he would be the problem. She always knows, but why doesn't she do anything? Well, cancer..

Ace didn't need to listen to the rest of the group start ask questions as they tried to understand this. Instead, she looked at Daryl as he shifted to look back at the rest of them. They were all looking to him, turning to him as some sort of leader while Rick was gone. Ace observed intently, having already expected Daryl would fall back into the group this way.

"Can you please just go back out there and find them? Find Rick and Shane and find out what the hell is going on," Lori pleaded.

Daryl looked at her for a moment, but then nodded. "Gimme a sec," he said before turning and walking over to Ace. Lori thanked him and then dove into frantic conversation with everyone else.

When Daryl entered Ace's room, they just looked at each other for a minute. He swung his crossbow at his side, glancing back at the rest of the group to make sure they were letting them be.

"It was Shane," he grumbled.

Ace nodded, no shit, shifting the gun in her hands as she thought. "Randal wasn't bit?" She mumbled, thinking aloud now. She couldn't figure out an answer for this.

Daryl chewed on his cheek, shaking his head. He didn't know either. "Gotta go back out, ya okay here?" He questioned her. Neither of them gave a shit to question what the hell the were feeling at this moment, it was too busy. Daryl just needed to check in on her, for some reason unbeknownst to him.

Ace nodded, even though she was far from it, and held up the gun a little, signaling she was set up and would keep an eye out. She wanted to tell him to not go back out without her, but knew he had to do this. Daryl nodded back, heaving his crossbow back up. Their eye contact grew intense for just a moment, neither wanting to separate again and neither knowing why or what was going on.

But before they could do anything else, before Daryl could leave to go back out, Andrea was letting out a hushed yell. "Walkers!"

Immediately, Daryl and Ace sprung up. Daryl rushed to the window in the room while Ace lifted up her gun and peered out the scope. In the distance, through the dark, the horizon was lined with bodies. A fucking herd.

Ace couldn't be going any more insane at the moment.

Daryl stepped back, glancing at her for a moment before looking to the group.

"Kill the lights, get the guns," Hershel whispered orders. Everyone hurried off to do so while Daryl joined Hershel, Glenn, and Andrea to look outside from the doorway.

"Maybe there just passing through, like the herd on the highway. Should we just go inside?" Glenn started asking with fear lining his voice.

"Not unless theres a tunnel downstairs I don' know about," Daryl spoke gruffly. "A herd that size could rip the house down."

"You can go if you want," Hershel became serious, but determined as he started to grab guns that Patricia brought out.

"You gonna take them all on?" Andrea questioned.

"We have guns. We have cars." Hershel said, stubborn. "This is my farm. I'll die here."

"Kill as many as we can," Andrea nodded in agreement. "Then we use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm."

"As good a night as any," Daryl grumbled, trying to get his mind into gear. Another second didn't pass before Daryl was hurrying back to Ace's room. He didn't look to her as he went right over to the window. He yanked the blinds up and shoved back the curtains before heaving the window completely open. Immediately, a cold breeze rushed in. He turned and walked over to her in bed.

"Can ya shoot?" He asked her.

Ace was way ahead of him, already leaning forward and lifting her gun up to aim out the window. She could see the group running outside and over to the cars, the headlights lighting up the farm. She had heard their conversation out in the hallway.

"We gotta fight. I'll stay close," Daryl informed in a hurried tone.

Ace was reeling at the idea of being stuck in here while the rest of the group was out there facing the herd. But she still nodded. She couldn't move, would just turn into walker bait if she tried to go outside. She'd distract the rest of the group from the task at hand.

With adrenaline pumping in his bones, Daryl stepped over to her, making Ace's head turn to look at him. There was not a single thought in Daryl's head, not even about the fact that the group was right in the other room as he quickly leaned down to plant a kiss on Ace's forehead.

"I'll be back," But then it was over and Daryl was trying to curl away from her, not daring to meet her eyes. Ace wouldn't allow it, reacting before she could stop herself. She quickly grabbed Daryl's wrist, stopping him. 

Daryl froze and his body tensed at the unexpected touch, but still shifted to look at her. Ace just looked at him for a moment, knowing she couldn't say anything she wanted to. "Be safe," was all she pushed out.

Daryl met her eyes for a long moment before nodding. With that, Ace released her grip on his hand and watched as Daryl rushed out of the room. He pulled out his handgun and stepped outside, not looking at a single person.

Ace watched the angel wings on his back as he hurried off, her gun lowering for a second in shock. But then she heard the sound of engines firing up and she snapped herself out of it. She doesn't have time to think.

Ace was breathing as steadily as she could, willing her arms not to shake in pain as she held up the gun. She pressed her face against the butt of the rifle and peered out the scope that was pointed through the window.

The sound of engines running and gunfire rang out through the night. Ace watched through the scope as the cars looped around the front of the farm. Each car had a passenger hanging out the window shooting walkers as they passed. Ace's heart was racing so intensely she could see the rifle bounce from each pump.

Ace started to pick off walkers from the bed. Each time the gun fired, her head spun and a loud ring blasted through her ears. She had to blink a few times and steady her body before she could shoot again, using every ounce of will she had to stay conscious and ignoring the vibration that ran through her back from the kickback of the gun.

Between her gunfire, she heard Patricia and Beth talking. "The barns on fire."

Ace let another shoot loose, not needing to hear anymore. Rick or Shane had to have set that fire. Either to draw walkers to it or to save themselves when in a hairy situation.

Ace started to think a little more, realizing that this fight was not one the group was going to win. Their plan wasn't enough. They were too split up, had no idea that Rick and Shane were going to light up that barn. They were wasting ammo.

But Ace kept shooting.

She moved the gun, looking through the scope around the barn. She heard the loud rumble of Daryl's motorcycle and spotted him. He was stopped for the moment to pick off as many walkers as he could, then he drove a little more and did it again. Ace kept her eyes on him. She was glad she did because while Daryl had pulled up to the RV that Jimmy was driving to yell instructions at him, he hadn't noticed the walker coming up behind him. Ace didn't hesitate to steady her breathing and shoot it.

Daryl spun around in surprise, looking at the walker that had just dropped. He then glanced over to the house, knowing very well where that gun shot came from. Even not side by side, they still teamed up well. Daryl then turned back to Jimmy in the RV, barking at him to go over the barn to see if Rick or Shane were there. After that, he revved his bike and road off.

Ace kept searching around the farm for walkers close enough for her to pick off. She kept an eye on the car she knew Maggie was driving, as well as Daryl, and watched as Hershel stood outside the house, going crazy shooting off his shot gun. He let out yells of determination as he took out one after another. Ace started to help him, getting uncomfortable at how close they were getting to him. It was horrible to know she wouldn't be able to get to him in time if something happened.

But something was happening. The walkers were everywhere. They were all over the place, spread out sporadically. The group would run out of ammo before they could make a dent, as Ace knew would happen. Next time they should let Ace make the plans, even if Hershel wouldn't agree. At least she could do that while stuck in this bed.

The walkers were getting closer.

"Beth, Patricia, come on. We gotta go," Carol cried out from the other room. Ace didn't take a second to think that Carol didn't seem to think of her. Ace's chest was too tight. She was trying to think, trying to plan, trying to adapt. Ace had to get out of here. They all did.

Lori screamed Rick's name off the balcony, but of course there was no answer. Instead, she looked to Hershel. "Hershel! Its time!" Lori yelled at him.

Ace saw as Hershel didn't move a muscle. He didn't acknowledge her at all. Lori screamed his name again and again as Carol, Beth, and Patricia ran out of the house, but he wouldn't budge. Hershel was actually going to die protecting this farm.

Ace lowered her gun, looking around the room with panic. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't.

Hershel was not going to come in to help her. Daryl was still out there.

Ace was panting, breathing heavily, sweat lingering on her forehead. She set the rifle next to her and sucked in a breath of determination. Letting out a loud groan, she put her arms on the bed and scooted her body closer to the edge. She paused. Come on. She had to do this. She had to get up. Ace bit her lip, nearly drawing blood as she tried again. Her head spun and her back lit up with pain.

The sound of Hershels gunfire stopping from outside the house had Ace working up all the determination in the world. He was out of ammo. Ace had to help him. She had to. She had to move.

Ace yelled as she shoved herself up off the bed, her feet touching the ground. The soles of her foot only touched the floor for a second before pain shot down her legs and her knees crumbled. She collapsed onto her knee caps, using her hands to break her fall. Her legs were asleep, vibrating with numbness from not being used for days on end.

Ace wanted to scream, thinking that might build up some adrenaline for her to get her body moving, but she kept quiet.

But apparently, not quiet enough.

While Ace was distracted, trying to formulate a plan through the chaos and get out of the bed, she had failed to notice the flesh-barren hand grip at the window frame. She wasn't alert as her normal self would have been, even though she was able to keep her shit together. She just had to get up to help, but was now on the ground, her rifle still laying on the bed.

But then she heard the low, girthy growl prick right at her ears. She snapped her head up to the window, only to see a walker pressed up against the house, its black eyes staring right into her.

It was clawing at the window frame, repeatedly ramming into the side of the house. Bloody arms were reaching through the open window, desperate to rip her flesh apart. It must have heard her rifle, smelled her sent, whatever.

Ace's heart rate picked up. She didn't waste another second to prop herself up on her elbows, and then push up to her hands. She was on all fours, her body trembling as she looked through red-blurred vision to see the walker climbing the window.

She groaned but her voice cracked, sweat running down her face and dripping onto the floor. Now the adrenaline was starting to pump.

The growling got louder as the walker was halfway in through the window, its torso rocking on the ledge of the window. Ace was trying to repress the panic that was starting to build up in her, focusing only on sitting up. With all her might, she willed her wobbling arms to shove upwards, making her hiss as she shifted onto her knees. She gripped a hand onto the comforter to keep herself upright just as she heard the _thud_ from the walker that had entered through the window and fallen in onto the floor in her room.

Ace's ears were stilling ringing from gunfire and pain, the growls from the walker echoing along with the screaming from Lori and Hershel outside. Ace wanted to pass out, her vision blurring as she glanced from the walker to the rifle sitting on the bed.

The walker pushed itself up onto its feet, arms dangling as it stood. If possible, the groans that came out of its mouth, with all the flesh missing from its lips, got louder. And so did the ringing in Ace's ears. She let out another yell as she shoved herself forwards, reaching up to wrap her fingers around the butt of the rifle on the bed. She was able to get ahold of it and bring it closer, but the movements made her tumble and fall backwards.

Her back hit the ground, her head smacking against the leg of the bedside table, making the ringing amplify in her head and blackness crease into the corner of her vision. But she didn't have time to let her eyes roll back or think about the way her wound was screaming, the walker was closer.

Right as she looked up, the walker was above her. Its weight was coming down to collapse its body on top of hers, but she quickly gripped body of the rifle and swung the butt of it at the head that bent down above her. Ace yelled out as she did, instantly biting her lip after to keep quiet. But the intensity and strength of her movement must have ripped all of her stitches, exerting the absolute last amount of energy she had.

The walker stumbled and fell onto the ground, its body laying right next to hers. But the hit didn't do any damage.

Ace was frantically breathing, pushing herself up and scooting back away from the walker. She hit the bed and instantly reached for the bedside table. Her fingers wrapped around the tip of her knife that laid there.

As the walker was starting to move back up, Ace secured her grip on the knife. Without a second thought, knowing very well this may be her last effort before she lost all consciousness, she lunged and sunk the knife into its forehead.

As the walker's body went limp, so did hers. She had to roll off of the rotting corpse.

Ace hadn't passed out, that much she knew from how loud the pulsing was in her head, but she couldn't see. She couldn't tell if her eyes were closed, she was too tired to figure it out. She rolled her head back and forth, trying to press skin onto the hardwood floor for some cool relief. Her heart beat was pumping in her forehead, making it throb into another dimension. Her back was a ball of fire, blood seeping out, making her huff out heavy breaths.

She wanted to give in to the black, give into sleep and death, but that same part of her brain that would never shut up wouldn't let her. She needed to open her eyes, check if anymore walkers were at the window, but couldn't figure out how to move her eyelids. She wanted to get up, check where Daryl was. She wanted to help Hershel, help Maggie. But she couldn't hear them anymore.

Ace tried to make herself come to, tried to force her ears to listen. She couldn't pass out. She might die here. Daryl might need her help. They need her to make a plan.

Ace clenched her jaw, gulping down saliva. She rolled her head to face where she assumed the doorway was, trying to listen. She couldn't hear Carol and Lori screaming anymore. She heard gun shots still, but they sounded far away.

The thought that the group might have left made Ace's eyes suddenly pop right open. The reflection of the light made the room look blurry, but Ace kept blinking. She could see out into the hallway, but no one was there. Maybe they left. Or worse, they all got caught by the herd. And Ace was next.

"Hershel."

Ace heard that. She tried to move, tried to get up so she could go join whomever that was, but her body wouldn't let her get the chance.

"Hershel!" She heard again, but this time a different voice. It was Rick. Ace fucking prayed that Daryl was with him. Everyone else had left the house, running off the farm. Daryl was the only one that would know Ace was in here. He wouldn't leave her, too.

Even so, Ace wouldn't be left. She would survive. If the cancer couldn't get her, this couldn't either. She just had to get up and close the window, barricade the door somehow...

"We have to go," she heard Rick yell to Hershel, but the voices sounded like they were underwater. Hershel's response was then further drowned out by the sound of the motorcycle's engine rumbling over to the house.

" _Move_!"

Ace heard another, oh so familiar growl. Moments after the door to the farm was slammed open and footsteps were running towards her room.

Ace pushed her eyelids open once more to see Daryl, caked in dirt and blood splatters. He looked at her, then the walker, then back at her. In a second he rushed over, holding a hand over Ace. He quickly checked her skin for bites, lifting up her limp arms to look them over. Ace tried to tell him she wasn't bit, but her voice just cracked and sounded pathetic. If she wasn't so fucking exhausted, she would have been pained by how week and disabled she was.

Once satisfied, Daryl's eyes fell back on her and Ace saw all the thoughts run over his face, the wheels turning in his head. He let out a heavy breath, seeing all he needed to see, before turning to face the others.

"Rick!" Daryl yelled out, his voice hoarse.

Rick and Hershel hurried into the house, grabbing the rest of the guns in a rush.

Daryl stepped into the hallway, looking between them both. "I have ta' stay," he grumbled but spoke as fast as he could. They didn't have much time. Both Rick and Hershel looked at him, huffing violently. Ace watched Daryl's back with panic on her face.

"The farm has fallen. Daryl, we have to go. Now," Rick demanded, trying to rush him out of the house. Yells could be heard from outside, making the three men swivel and curse.

"She can't go," Daryl informed, speaking of Ace over top of all of the gun shots and commotion outside, forcing the attention back on himself.

"Go," Ace croaked from the room, unsure if they could even hear her, still half paralyzed on the floor. He wouldn't stay here and die for her. None of them would.

"Na," Daryl said without looking back at her, still keeping his eyes intently on Rick and Hershel. "We'll stay here. Board up the windows, kill the lights, wait 'em out until she can walk."

Rick and Hershel looked at him, not knowing what to say or do, just breathing heavily. Rick started to shake his head no.

"I can't go with ya. M'not leavin' her. Go," Daryl stepped towards them, rushing them along. "Head back to the highway like before, head east. Leave a trail. We'll catch up with ya."

Rick didn't have enough time to sit here and fight, the sound of the walkers were getting closer and closer to the house. Angrily, he nodded at Daryl, grabbing the bag of guns and slinging it over his shoulder. "You better come back," Rick spoke to him. Daryl sent a curt nod before Rick had to force himself to turn away and head out of the house. Hershel lingered behind for a moment.

"She needs a bag of fluids and antibiotics every day... A new bandage, stitches - in my office," Hershel was wide eyed with panic and emotion but still tried to wrack his brain. "The kitchen has some canned food... water-"

"HERSHEL!" Rick yelled from outside.

"Go!" Daryl shooed him off. Hershel sent him and Ace one last look before he ran out of the house. Daryl huffed as he stood there, watching them leave. This is what he had to do.

Daryl turned back to face Ace who was crumbled on the floor, sweat covering her pale face. They met eyes and Ace wanted to swear at Daryl, to yell at him to get off the farm as soon as possible. But she couldn't, she was dizzy and couldn't find a way to get the words out.

Daryl had to force himself to look away from her so he could run over to the kitchen. He grabbed a chair from the table and as quietly as he could he put it up against the doorknob of the main door, just as Carol had once done to Ace. He then ran around the lower level to make sure all of the windows and blinds were shut, keeping his footsteps as hushed as possible.

Quickly, Daryl came back into Ace's room and grabbed onto the ankles of the dead walker. He huffed as he shuffled backwards, dragging the corpse out into the hallway. Once clear of the door, he yanked Ace's knife out of its skull and came back in the room, shutting the door behind him.

Ace was watching through eyes she could barely keep open as Daryl went back over to the window and shut it, drawing the blinds and curtains closed as tightly as possible and switching the lamp off. Then, he hurried over to Ace. The room was completely dark, so he had to carefully reach out to find her, ignoring the feeling of her skin under his fingers.

He grabbed onto her upper arms and heaved her up from the ground. Ace bit the inside of her cheek to not yell out, knowing they had to be as quiet as possible. Daryl moved her back to the bed and sat her on it, her body half limp. He then grabbed the rifle she used and handed it over to her.

Without any words, Ace took it, breathing heavily as Daryl went to stand at the foot of the bed. His blood was still pumping adrenaline through his veins. His shoulders tensed as he stood, with protection in his demeanor. He held on tightly to his crossbow and stood as sturdy as a statue, on guard and ready for anything to come at him. He was alert, not knowing what or if something was going to start breaking down the door.

There was no way he was going to go on without Ace, for whatever reason, but his nerves were still shot at what had just happened to the group and what would happen now.

Ace felt the same from the bed, trying her hardest to stare directly at the window with her rifle loaded. She had to fight as hard as she could to stay alert. She was sweating and weak, her back shooting numbness down throughout her muscles, blood seeping through her shirt. She was exhausted, physically and mentally, but luckily there was still some lingering adrenaline that kept her awake. She was always one to be on guard. Nothing would take that away from her. She adapted and she survived.

Daryl kept his ears as alert as they could be, listening to make sure the walkers had not heard them and started to come to the house. It seemed like they were drawn off by Rick and Hershel's gunfire as they left, or the rest of the cars that seemed to have ditched the farm.

Everyone was gone.

Daryl looked over his shoulder and glanced back at Ace. It was completely dark and completely silent, but they could still make out each other's figures. She met his eyes, both of their chests rising and falling heavily. This was it now.

It pained Ace that Daryl stayed and her mind was running at the speed of light about where the group was or who they had lost or what they were going to do. But as they looked at each other, it seemed like, once again, it was them two against the world.

The sat alert in the thrill of the night, as a team, ready to defend each other.


	64. Dead of The Night

The night rolled on, dark and full of death.

Daryl and Ace hadn't moved a muscle.

Daryl still braced himself with his crossbow up, facing the closed door. He was waiting and listening, on edge that the walkers would push themselves in the house.

Ace had the window. She kept the rifle in her grip, loaded, just in case any walker went by and caught wind or heard them inside of here. Any sign or sound of the walkers trying to get into the house would have Daryl and Ace needing to come up with a new plan of action.

But they wouldn't hear them. Daryl and Ace didn't make a sound. The were solid rocks in the dark at this point.

As much as the two could be thinking and worried about right now, neither did. There was only one thing. Staying safe. Staying hidden.

But the adrenaline had started to fade from Ace's body. She was struggling to keep her eyes open, let alone hold then rifle up. Daryl knew this too, knew he needed to check on her wounds, but wanted to wait until it was clear.

The walkers were distracted enough by the cars and the gun fire leaving the farm a little while ago that they had no need to start attacking the house. As far as Ace and Daryl knew, the walkers were clueless to their presence inside of this house. Now, they just had to wait for them to move on.

But Ace could think enough to know that would take a while. The barn that Rick or Shane lit on fire was still burning. It was going to go out soon, but in its course the sound of the wood falling or caving in on itself could be heard. Either way, that barn was attracting attention. It was good in the sense that the walkers that went over there would burn, but bad in the sense that it kept a lot of them on the farm.

At least it was the barn that the attention was on, not Daryl or Ace. And by the morning, the fire should rest and just be smoke. But, they couldn't help but worry that the smoke might draw the attention of some unwanted guests, possibly even Randal's group.

As time ticked on and the intense feeling of survival continued to roll between the team of two, Ace was fighting as hard as she could. She was worried the pain killers Maggie gave her would wear off anytime now. That had to be the only thing keeping her conscious. She knew it would be a problem when the pain killer's affects weakened. And there was nothing Ace hated more than being a problem. Especially when a problem was the last thing they needed right now.

As more time passed and Daryl still had not heard any walkers banging to get into the house, he turned to Ace. Her head was leaning back against the headboard, eyes open just enough for her to look through the window. She was starting to visualize the walker that had crawled through there earlier, her mind trying to come up with anything to scare her into staying awake.

Daryl silently came over, setting his crossbow onto the bed. He glanced around the room, his eyes having adjusted to the dark of the night long ago. He spotted the IV stand, the needle dangling from it. It must have ripped out when Ace fought off the walker. Luckily, there was still some fluid in the bag.

Daryl moved, nearly tip-toeing to bring it over, lifting it up to not drag on the ground. He came over to the side of the bed Ace was on and set it down. It was deathly silent as he grabbed onto her arm, his hand wrapping entirely around her wrist, as his other hand held the needle.

Daryl really had to focus through the night to find the vein. He hadn't done this before, but after watching Hershel do it nearly thousands of times, he was confident enough. And he wasn't going to waste a second worrying about it. After the events of tonight, he was done worrying about shit, especially the way he held onto Ace's wrist.

Normally Ace would flinch or freak out about the needle, but she was too far gone to give half of a shit. She actually didn't mind when Daryl poked the needle into her skin, it let her know that she was actually awake, not dreaming.

When he got it all set up, he set Ace's arm down and reached to place his hand on her forehead. She was beyond warm.

"Gonna have to wait til mornin' to fix your stitches," he whispered, his voice still coming out raspy. He didn't have any of the supplies in here, not to mention it was way too dark to stitch her up. He couldn't risk turning on a light or trying to search the house right now. There were still too many walkers.

Ace nodded, figuring that was obvious.

Daryl handed her the glass of water from the bedside table. "Ya be fine?" He asked as Ace took the water from him. She nodded again. There wasn't any other answer to give. Her wound had stopped bleeding, she could feel how the blood was dried and crusted on her skin. Morning was coming soon, anyway.

As Ace started to sip on the water, Daryl's mind started to flash with thoughts of a plan. He thought of Ace in front of him and what they would have to do to eventually get out of here. He knew that he would at least have to wait until morning to leave the room and look around the house for food and her medicine. He would need daylight to do that and still needs more time for the walkers to clear out just a bit more. Other than that, Daryl wasn't sure how long it would take Ace to heal up. A day? Two? A week?

A couple of days would be best. The groups tracks should still be visible after a couple of days. Daryl would be able to follow them. And if Rick left a sign, they would be okay. That was the best scenario.

Daryl stepped away, grabbing his bow and heading back to his stance in front of the bed, taking only a second to glance back at Ace. He was surprised, but at the same time not really surprised, that she stayed in her position on guard, even after the walker she killed. She looked just as sturdy as him most of the time, and sure was not going to willingly give up her watch. Daryl had respect for how she was alert and would always fight, but if they wanted to get out of here, the girl needed to rest. She looked half dead.

"Should get some sleep," Daryl whispered, his voice sounding like a harsh murmur.

Ace looked through the darkness to him. She shook her head no, but was unsure if Daryl could see that through the night. She wasn't sure why she said no, she was really no use right now in her state. She just needed to be alert and be here. By the nature of his response, it seems that he did see.

"Need ta' get your strength back. Sleep," Daryl urged as silently as he could. It was unusual for Daryl to be so quite. Right after, he listened again to make sure his whispers were quiet enough.

Ace didn't know if she would be able to fall asleep, and she sure doesn't want to, but couldn't risk arguing about it right now. It was too quiet and their attentions need to be elsewhere.

Ace set her rifle down on the side of the bed. She kept it loaded and accessible, just in case she needed it in an emergency. Daryl could spot her figure sliding down into a resting position, giving him satisfaction enough to turn back to face the door, returning to his guard.

Ace scrunched her face and bit her lip as she moved to lay. She attempted to lay on her side to relieve some of the pressure on her back, but it didn't do much.

Ace did not plan to give up so easily on helping be alert. Hell, she couldn't if she tried. But she thought if she at least laid down, Daryl would ease up and not be distracted. She figured she could still be alert and listen from this position as well.

But in her state, Ace's revolting body craved sleep. It was shutting down on her, just as it should be after what she had gone through. She had pushed too hard, still needing to recover.

Ace tried to fight, tried to keep her eyes open and the pain at a minimum. But it was just impossible. She felt out of control, even though her mind was going off with thoughts about her current situation. Of the group, of the walkers, of Daryl who stood at her feet. But the more she forced herself to stay awake, the farther away from reality she felt.

Even though her thoughts always felt all-powering, they were not enough against her broken, healing body to keep it awake.

\----

Morning.

Another morning that Ace actually woke up, alive and not dead as she had spent so long convincing herself that she was. But this morning was different. This morning it seemed everything else around her was dead.

Ace rolled in bed as she began to come to. It felt like she was rolling in flames, how badly her body ached. The wound on her back felt like a claw that was digging its sharp nails into her flesh.

As she blinked her eyes open, she immediately saw her world spin. The pain killers had definitely warn off. The IV was empty.

It wasn't as bright as it usually was, for the blinds were still shut from last night. But Ace knew it wasn't very late in the morning. She knew, by how groggy she felt, the pain she was feeling woke her up after only a mere few hours of sleep.

Ace glanced around, catching sight of the familiar angel wings. Daryl still stood at the foot of her bed.

It was when those wings on his vest started to blur that Ace had to squeeze her eyes shut again. She was reeling from an inexhaustible amount of pain and anguish.

She tried to hold it down, tried to repress all of it, but felt like death was once again ripping its way through her from her back. Ace couldn't help but let out a weak groan, still in a half-asleep state. It was only the thoughts of survival and what had happened last night that kept her conscious. She couldn't stop thinking about the group and about what remained of the farm. But that was nothing compared to the pain she felt right now, or the fever that was starting to burn her up.

Daryl heard her groan, getting him to perk up from his stance and snap his head in her direction. Almost instantly he could see the sweat on her forehead and the agony that scrunched up her face.

All through the night Daryl listened and stayed alert. Never once did any of the walkers outside become curious about the house. He had heard some footsteps drag on the porch, making him freeze, but after a moment they continued on. That was it.

The whole night Daryl couldn't stop thinking about the sleeping person behind him. Her and the rest of the group. He was beating himself up, thinking of them. He couldn't stop thinking that he should've been more alert, more aware of what was going on. He was such a basket case that could never get out of his thoughts when it came to Ace. Because of that, he was putting blame on his shoulders for the events that happened last night. And even though cancer was nothing he could control, he felt guilt for all the pain Ace was in. He could see it on her face even as she slept.

And now she was awake, unable to rest with the fire burning on her back.

Once again Daryl had to face her. He felt insecure about all his decisions when it came to her. But now he tried his best to be decisive and strong in order for them to get out of here and back with the rest. He didn't have time to waste thoughts on what he was doing with the girl.

Ace's head was rolling side to side, attempting to shake off the hurt. She reached her hand down in an attempt to grab at her back, trying to feel some sort of relief.

"Aye," Daryl whispered quickly to her, now rotating so he was facing the bed. "Don't touch."

Ace opened her eyes and looked at him, halting the movement of her hand. She left it on her hip for now, squeezing at it. Her breathing started to intensify, causing her chest to rise and fall heavily. She couldn't speak through this if she tried.

Daryl took a few steps over, letting his crossbow hang at one of his sides. He bit on his lip, not meeting her eyes again, as he reached over and placed his hand on her forehead. Ace could feel the callouses on his palm as they lightly scratched against her damp skin. His hand was colder than her forehead so it brought a moment of relief.

Ace eyed him as he pulled his hand back and gnawed on the inside of his mouth. He rubbed his hand over the scruff on his chin and glanced at the door. Her forehead was warm, which didn't bring Daryl much comfort. Hershel said he had antibiotics and shit in his office. Daryl knew he couldn't let much more time pass before Ace got those.

Daryl ran a hand through his facial hair a few more times, obviously thinking, before he had come to some sort of decision with himself. He silently spun on his feet and went over to the window. Ever so carefully, he used a single finger to pull back one of the curtains. He didn't let it open more than a crack, just enough so he could use one of his eyes to gaze out.

Nervously, Ace watched him. She saw as light came in through the crack in the curtain and lit up his eye. She wanted to ask so badly what he was seeing, but wasn't going to speak and risk drawing anymore attention right now. Her throat was too dry and scratchy, anyway.

Satisfied, Daryl let the curtain drop and stepped back over to Ace. He went closer to the bed now so he didn't have to raise his voice more than necessary.

"Not too many around," he informed quietly. "Should be good to get to Hershel's office."

Ace nodded. A part of her wanted to tell him to just stay and wait it out a bit more, but the part of her that was in pain was much greater. She knew if they were ever to get out of here she needed to get her strength up. She needed the stuff in Hershel's office to do that.

Daryl bent over to load an arrow into his crossbow, then stood up to pull his knife out of the sheath. "Anythin' happens, I'll knock three times."

Ace, through her drowsiness and aches, grabbed the rifle from her side and held it up, sending Daryl yet another nod. She wasn't too concerned, she knew Daryl was able to keep himself quiet. Years of tracking gave him that.

And anyway, the walkers most likely were dispersed now. Either they started to head off to the direction the caravan of cars drove off in, or they lurked around what was left of the barn. That fire should just be mostly smoke by now. If none of them had come to barrel down the house yet, they wouldn't now. As long as they were quiet.

Daryl sucked in a breath and lifted up his crossbow, turning to start his way over to the door of the room. Ace watched as he carefully grabbed onto the doorknob, twisting slowly. When he had it opened, inch by inch he pushed the door out. Unfortunately, the hinges were old and creaky. Each time the door made a squeak, Daryl froze, stopping to glance around and listen. After enough time passed that no footsteps could be heard outside, he pushed it open more. He only opened it just enough to squeeze his body out of.

Ace looked back to the window. Although the blinds were down, she watched for any shadows to wander by. At the same time, she listened to Daryl's movements, making sure they were silent enough.

It was a bit challenging, for the throbbing of her head and the ache that ran through her body was so prominent it almost seemed like it was making noise. She kept taking deep breaths, trying so hard to will it away. But the only thing that came from that was a tremble in her arms holding the rifle.

Ace could barely hear Daryl's footsteps. Mostly, she could hear each time the floor squeaked. But each time that happened, there was a pause. Thankfully, no walkers had gotten into the house last night besides the one she killed. That meant this was just a test of silence and time.

The door to Hershel's office must have been left open, because Ace didn't hear anymore hinges start to creak. She was thankful for that. If she couldn't hear Daryl, the walkers couldn't either. And after a couple more minutes passed by, Daryl was tip-toeing back into the room.

Ace looked away from the window. Nothing had come by, they were still in the clear.

Without any words, Daryl slowly pulled the door shut behind him. Once back inside the room, he came over to the bed, setting down all that he was holding in his arms, and pocketing his knife after.

Ace looked at the supplies and set the rifle on her lap. She reached and grabbed the two pill bottles, not hesitating to pop them open and pour what she needed into her palm. She washed the pain killers and antibiotics down with the little water that was left in the glass on the bedside table. She knew it would hurt to take these on an empty stomach, but she couldn't think much farther past the pain she was feeling.

Daryl set down his crossbow on the edge of the bed and grabbed the new bag of fluids. He leaned over to get the IV rack from beside the bed, and hung the bag from it, replacing the old one. The needle was still in Ace's arm, so he looked to her.

Ace got the gist and used her free hand to tug out the old needle, making her stomach flip around even more. Ace moved and Daryl glanced over to her. She was holding her hand out, signaling him to give the new one to her. She hadn't done it herself, but it has been done to her enough for her to know. She hated needles so much it was impossible not to pay attention to what Hershel was doing.

Daryl set it up and then handed it over to her and with a furrowed brow, watched as she forced herself into a sitting position. He saw her face scrunch up in pain as she did.

Ace put the IV tube in her mouth to hold it for a moment while she started to poke at her forearm. She was searching for a vein and it didn't take too long for her to find it, along with the other healing holes.

Daryl could see as her eyes sunk in slightly. The same way they always did when she had to get a needle in her, besides last night.

But Ace kept it together. She thought of this as the only way to survive now. Not just for her, but for Daryl. She needed to get him out of here, back to the group. She couldn't wimp out now, no matter how much her insides were rolling around.

She grabbed the needle from her mouth with her free hand and brought it over to her arm. Daryl watched as Ace sucked in a breath and then ever so carefully pressed it into her skin. His face scrunched up as he watched.

Once it was in, Ace's head lulled in dizziness, but she ignored it and looked to the pile of stuff Daryl brought in. He had grabbed a bunch of clean medical gauze, thread, and tape as well for her bandage. Ace pointed at the tape.

Daryl grabbed it and handed it to her. She picked a piece from the roll and then brought it to her mouth to rip it with her teeth. When she had the small piece, she placed it over the IV to hold it in place.

"Here," Daryl grumbled, grabbing a granola bar off the bed and handing it to her. He found it in the hallway on his way to the office. The group had just barely started to move their stuff in, leaving it all around the house.

Ace took it from him and looked to make sure he grabbed one for himself. Once he did, she didn't hesitate to open hers up and take a bite. Her stomach felt like a bag of rocks, but she had to force herself to do what was good for her. She was worried about the rest of the group, she needed to get out of here as fast as they could.

Daryl finished his granola bar in two large bites, tossing the wrapper onto the ground after. He then looked at the pile of medical supplies, then back to Ace. "Gotta fix it." He referred to her wound.

When Ace gave him a nod, Daryl huffed and then started picking out the gauze, alcohol, cream, thread, needle, and tape. He then assisted Ace in sitting up, grabbing onto her upper arm to pull her forward, avoiding eye contact as he did. Daryl went to release his grip on her, but Ace just held on as she shifted onto the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over one at a time to rest on the ground. She felt as if her head rolled off her shoulders for as she moved. Her forehead was pounding, causing her to let her head droop down a bit.

Daryl stood rigid, half bent over as her fists clenched the fabric of his shirt. It took Ace a moment to regain her stability from the pain that caused. Once she resurfaced, she released the grasp she had on Daryl, allowing him freedom.

Daryl walked to the opposite side of the bed so he was behind her back. He grabbed a rag and sat down on the bed. Without a word, trying not to think about it, he reached to lift up the bottom of Ace's shirt. She helped lift it up and Daryl had to force himself to shut up and ignore what was going on in his head. Luckily he was behind Ace, so he didn't have to face her. And the sight of her bloodied bandage was enough to get his mind on the right track.

His forehead scrunched up and his mouth was slightly agape as he started to pull back the old bandage. He tried to be as careful as he could, watching as it tugged at her skin. He glanced up to Ace, but she had no reaction he could notice so he kept going.

He looked at Ace's incision which was a mess after last night. Dried blood caked the whole area the bandage was, and stitches were popped along the site. And the wound looked extremely angry and irritated. It didn't seem like it was infected, but it definitely was not happy.

Daryl grabbed the that alcohol Hershel had on his desk. Daryl hesitated for a moment. "Gonna sting," he whispered. Might as well give her some warning so she can stay quiet.

Which she did as he poured it along her back. Ace brought a fist up to her mouth to dig her teeth into as her body cringed. Daryl noticed her muscles tense up, but that was all, she was always quiet. Ace gripped onto her arms, awaiting the pain that was going to come as Daryl started opening a sterile needle and thread.

She heard him huff as a hand was placed on her back for him to steady himself, staying a good distance away from the bloody flesh. Ace once again could feel the callouses on his palm brush against her skin. The exposure made chills run over her body that was covered in dried sweat.

Daryl didn't warn her this time, knowing she would stay quiet now, as he grabbed tweezers and went in to pull out the ripped stitches. Ace kept her eyes shut, focusing on the way little blue dots appeared if she squeezed them closed hard enough. Her back was already in so much pain that this really wasn't so much worse.

Daryl was pretty familiar with stitches, having not only the apocalypse, but a childhood to thank for that. At least the skill came in handy now and he was able to fix Ace up relatively quickly. Neither of them made a single sound.

Daryl then worked as quickly as possible to put the antibiotic cream on it with a q-tip, biting at his cheek as he tried to focus.

After the hard part was over, he pealed a new bandage and placed it along her newly cleaned spine. Ace could feel his hands brush against her lower back as he pressed it on and noticed how loud the silence was between them.

Once finished, Daryl stood and got rid of the trash, walking back to Ace's side of the bed. Ace reached around to pull her shirt back down and glanced at Daryl as he picked his crossbow back up.

"Hershel said somethin' 'bout walking exercises," he spoke quietly as he looked at Ace. Ace looked up to him and nodded, biting at the inside of her cheek. She moved her legs around a bit, just attempting to see how they felt. The movement was enough to spark pain in her back.

"After this," she mumbled, pointing to the IV bag. She needed some time for the pain killers to kick in. And hopefully after the fluids got in her system she would feel less like a corpse.

Daryl bit at his thumb and nodded, feeling anxious about getting out of this room. He wanted to get back to the group, have strength in numbers again. He didn't like being boxed in like this, especially when Ace wasn't ready to fight much yet. He knew she would if she had to, but he could tell from her hollow face that she wasn't ready. If there had been two walkers that came in here last night, who knows what would have become of her. And the wound on her back needed some time, otherwise it would get infected.

An' she was way too quiet. He could tell that she got more quiet, even though that didn't seem possible, when she was in pain. She internalized it, like she had to squeeze it all out from the inside. And hell, Daryl knew that if she was feeling up to it, she would be forcing her way out of this house to meet up with the rest.

Either way, Daryl knew they'd be fine. If Rick did what Daryl said and got the group to head east from the highway, Daryl would be able to track them. He figured it would probably take Ace another day or two to get out here. Be best if they gave the walkers more time to disperse anyway. The group wouldn't get very far in that time, knowing them. Especially not with Shane running free.

Ace looked at Daryl as he bit at his thumb, looking over to the window. She had her head resting down a bit, trying to straighten out her back to ease the pain.

Daryl still held himself up straight, his mind alert, but Ace could tell that he needed some rest. He had been standing at the foot of the bed all night on watch. He needed to sleep. They both couldn't be half-alive if they wanted to get out of here.

"Get some sleep," Ace spoke quietly. Daryl glanced over his shoulder at her, his hand falling to his side.

Before he could say no or give Ace one of his squinted looks, she spoke again. "It's quiet out there. I'll be fine to take watch for a couple hours."

Daryl looked back to the window for a moment, then back to Ace. It only took a second before he sent her a curt nod and walked over to the side of the bed. He leaned his crossbow against the bedside table before sitting down, his body starting to relax.

Ace grabbed the rifle again and moved to sit up with her back against the bed frame as Daryl positioned himself, laying down in the bed and stuffing a pillow under his head.

"Wake me if ya hear somethin'," he spoke.

Ace didn't respond, for that was obvious already to them both and his eyes were already closed.

Ace glanced around the room for a while until her eyes fell onto the window across from her. She kept them peeled for any shadows or movement outside.

Within no time she could hear the raspy deep breaths and occasional baby snore coming from Daryl. She glanced at him a few times, but did her best to shake it off and keep her eyes looking through the room. This wasn't the time to think about that. To think about the now two times he had kissed her.

But Ace couldn't help her mind from wondering to the rest of the group. She felt a heavy weight on her shoulders, not knowing if they made it to the highway. At the end of the night, most of them were split up. She had seen different cars leave the farm at different times, not knowing who was who at that point. And that was before she almost passed out from the walker. She at least knew that Rick, Hershel, and Carl were together and drove off the farm.

Even though Ace had recently had some not-so-positive thoughts about the group, she really hoped they made it back together and didn't run into any trouble. She hoped they were all okay. She hoped Maggie was okay, and T-Dog. Even Shane and Lori and them. And well, she didn't really know about Carol. Either way, Ace was never one to wish death or loss on any person.

These thoughts ran circles around Ace's mind as she sat for the next few hours. But at the end of it all, she couldn't help going back to how shitty she felt. She wished she could just get her ass up and get out of here. Get Daryl out of here.

But she couldn't. And the coast wasn't completely clear yet.

The least she could do for now was let Daryl sleep.

And she did. For longer than a few hours.


	65. Lingering Threat of Whats Right

Ace was good at sitting and keeping alert for long periods of time. Her experience before the apocalypse helped with that. And having to sit in this bed for days on end to get treatment, she was used to it. Of course, it was little harder when she felt as sickly as she did now and had the taxing thoughts she did. But she still pushed through it, as always. The pain killers helped just a bit.

There wasn't anything worthy of waking Daryl for. She spotted a shadow shuffle along past the window, but there was no indication it was coming towards the house or knew they were in here. For the most part, it was quiet out there. So she thought she would let Daryl get some more sleep. He needed it.

He barely moved anyway, only once in his sleep. He was just flat on his back with an arm behind his head, fast asleep.

Ace forced herself to not think about his presence, for she didn't need anymore on her mind than she currently did. She didn't want to think about why he stayed with her, or how he said he wasn't gonna go without her. For now all that mattered was that they were going to get through this and get back to the group, together.

And eventually all Ace could think about was the weakness in her bones and the sweat on her body. She needed to eat something and get some more water. She finished the glass of water that was on the table an hour ago and she was starting to get uncomfortable with the pain again. 

She didn't know exactly how long it had been or what time of day it was, but she could still see light against the blinds. It had to be approaching the late afternoon. She would need food and more medicine soon. A shower would be a godsend, although not possible. Not to mention, a bathroom break is something she couldn't put off for much longer.

Either way, Ace needed to try to stretch out her aching muscles.

She let out a breath and set the rifle onto the bed before placing her hands next to her side. They wobbled just a bit, but she used what was left of her strength to push her forward into a sitting position.

She sat up straight, feeling the bandage pull at her skin. She rolled her head around, cracking her neck as she did. That brought some relief to her back.

As Ace was about to push herself over to the side of the bed, she felt movement come from next to her. Daryl was probably the lightest sleeper in the world, like he always slept with one eye open. Ace barely moving was enough to get him to start to stir.

Ace glanced over and watched as Daryl jerked. He immediately snapped his eyes open and leaned up a bit, looking around. He brought his arm down to push himself up.

He looked around the room and then to Ace, making sure everything was good. "Fuck," he grumbled under his breath, running a hand over his head and then pushing up into a full sitting position. He could tell by how groggy he was that he had slept for a good while. The girl should've woken him sooner.

"Hear anythin'?"

Ace shook her head no, to which Daryl nodded and let out a huff as he got up out of bed.

He grabbed his crossbow and walked over to the window. He pulled back one of the blinds and peered out, glancing around the farm. Through all of the dead walker bodies from last night, there were only a few in the distance still straggling around.

Satisfied, Daryl turned and walked back over to Ace.

"Goin' somewhere?" He asked after seeing that she was attempting to get out of the bed.

"Food. Water. Bathroom," Ace grumbled. The list could go on and on.

Instantly Daryl was aware of how his body craved those things as well. There was a bunch of shit in the kitchen he could grab. He nodded to himself and threw his crossbow onto his shoulder. "Stay here," he whispered to Ace.

Ace watched as he once again snuck out of the room and quietly made his way to the kitchen. She was always irked when she couldn't do anything or help or go with him, but just used this time to slide over to the edge of the bed. While she waited, she took the tape off the IV and pulled out the needle, the bag now being empty. She rubbed over the spot with her hand and peered out the doorway.

Daryl was back quickly, his hands full of food and canteens of water that the group left in the house. He quietly shut the door and came over to the bed, handing Ace some water and a bowl.

"Leftover chili," he spoke, now handing her a spoon.

Ace huffed, realizing that she was actually enjoying the leftovers of her last meal, just like T-Dog had said.

Daryl sat next to Ace on the edge of the bed as he scarfed down the food. They sat in silence together as they ate, keeping to themselves. For the situation they were in, it was actually kind of peaceful. Being able to keep to yourself in silence while still with a person was nice. They were probably the only two people that could do that comfortably with each other.

Daryl finished his food much quicker than Ace, discarding his bowl onto the bed and then starting to drink out of the canteen. Ace had eaten about half before she put the bowl on the table, not wanting to upset her stomach anytime soon. The heavy dosage of antibiotics had a tendency to rip her stomach apart. Probiotics were not an option.

Daryl huffed and then stood up, turning to stand in front of Ace. "Alright," he let out a breath. "Gotta walk."

Ace sucked in a deep breath and sat up straight, preparing herself. She hasn't used her muscles in days. They were just as weak and tired as she was.

Without thinking about it, just trying to get Ace's strength back, Daryl grabbed onto Ace's elbows to help her stand up. Ace let her hands wrap around Daryl's wrists. For support, yeah, but also cause she just wanted to. Ace figured the simple touches like this were something Daryl couldn't get mad at her for, she just needed help walking was all.

Daryl still took mind to it, unable to _not_ notice every time their skin connected. Although, at least this he could ignore.

Ace's body was sore and felt like she had been hit by a bus as she planted her feet. She used Daryl as leverage to stabilize her body as she put all her weight up. Daryl and Ace both were looking down at her feet as she stood, not paying attention to how close they were, just making sure she was stable. Ace wiggled her toes as she stood, trying to disperse the pain in her back. Each time she felt a sharp pain shoot up her spine.

When she was up, Daryl moved towards her side. He let go of her, but kept his arm loosely in the air in case she fell. Ace had not yet released her grip on his other arm.

"Lets head to the bathroom. Gotta piss," Daryl grumbled, pointing his finger to signal to the door.

Ace's face was contorted in pain as Daryl helped move her away from the bed. It wasn't as bad as she was thinking it would be, but it didn't feel good knowing that if something happened, she'd eat shit if she tried to move fast. And she wanted to move fast, she had to pee like no other.

When she was away from the bed and sturdy, Daryl stepped back, squinting as he watched her. She started walking on her own and it seemed like she was doing fine, just sorta had a limp. But she ended up reaching out to rest her hand on the wall as she got to the door. Unknowingly, one of her hands went to rest on her lower back to ease the pain and help add support.

Daryl bit at his thumb as he watched, but then dropped it to slowly peel open the door. Once open and the coast was determined to be clear, he held an arm out to signal for Ace to follow, also giving her the option to use it as support. She didn't, having the desire to at least be able to walk on her own. But, as they left the room, she instinctively reached out to hold onto his elbow as they stepped over the dead walker. She frowned as she looked down at the once adult male that tried to kill her.

Bending her knees made her face scrunch up in pain, but at the same time was nice to flex those muscles.

She let go of Daryl and kept looking at her feet as she walked, trying to be as silent as possible. She usually had deathly silent footsteps, but she had to really focus with how weak she was to achieve that again.

Daryl kept taking glances back at her as he led the way to the bathroom, his crossbow ready just in case. Luckily there was a toilet on this floor and they didn't have to try to conquer the stairs just yet. When they reached the washroom, Daryl slowly pushed open the door, peering inside to make sure it was clear. There was no reason it wouldn't be, but their situation made them both extra concerned. But it was fine so Daryl stepped back, allowing Ace to go in first.

Ace could feel Daryl's eyes on her back as she went into the bathroom. She didn't want to close the door and mess around with the way the hinges creaked, but Daryl at least stayed out in the hallway, standing away to give her some sort of privacy.

Ace let out a sigh now that she was sort of alone. After being watched so closely the past couple of weeks due to her cancer, it was nice to have time to herself. But, she quickly felt empty. The last thing she wanted was to be alone when she had no clue what happened to the rest of the group. They needed to reconnect with them.

Ace shook it off, only becoming concerned with how badly she had to relieve herself. And once she had starting thinking about it, she wanted to hurry.

Sliding down her jeans was not fun. It was crazy how struggling to do such a simple task could make Ace sink into herself, knowing how weak she was. She had to brace herself, one hand on her back and the other on the bathroom sink to lower her body onto the toilet. This wouldn't be an issue if she was a man, at least.

When she was finished, she felt much better. At least the weight of her bladder wouldn't be another pain to hold her down now.

Ace rested her hand on the wall as she exited the doorway. She glanced around for Daryl, spotting him tip-toeing around the dining room where everyone had started to move their stuff into, looking for anything else they could use.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard her and set down what was in his hands. He sent a brief nod as he stepped past her and went to take his turn in the bathroom. Having been living in the apocalypse for a while now, at least they were used to practicing poor hygiene. They both were pretty experienced in shutting off their needs for a shower or for something as simple as flushing a toilet. It was nothing they needed to worry about now.

While Ace waited, she leaned against the wall and kept bending her knees. She hoped that the more she did it, the easier it would become. She even attempted to grip onto the front of her shin and lift it up as far as she could towards her chest.

She contorted her face in pain, but tried to find relief in the stretch.

Daryl silently made his way back to her side, to which they exchanged a look before heading back into the room. This time Ace stepped around the walker, instead of over it.

Spotting the bed, as much as Ace hated it, she craved to sit and relax her body. Although only having been up for a couple minutes, she felt as if she had been standing for hours. Out of shape was an understatement. Chemo ate away at her muscles, and sitting in bed all day every day didn't help.

Instinctively, Daryl came to act as her crutch again and help her back onto the bed. He sat her down slowly and then stood back as she rubbed at her spine.

Ace could walk, so that was good, but Daryl wasn't as satisfied as he had hoped. She wouldn't get very far if they tried to leave yet. She couldn't run, probably wouldn't be able to walk for long on uneven terrain, neither.

Ace could feel Daryl's eyes on her, but didn't look up to meet them. She was angry that she couldn't force her body to work better. She hated being the reason they were held up here. She hated not being able to fight or get up off her ass for very long. A part of her was starting to crave going for a run. She wanted to sprint and punch and feel the way her body moved when she did.

Ace sucked in a breath and reached to grab the pill bottles off the bedside table again. Ignoring the pair of eyes that were on her, she popped more of the medicine into her mouth and washed it down with the water.

When she was finished, Ace fidgeted with the hat on her head, pulling it down as far as she could over her ears.

Without any looks or words between the two, Daryl moved to sit next to Ace on the bed, leaving a gap between their shoulders. Ace felt the weight of his presence, but only looked ahead at the door while Daryl had his eyes downward onto his hands, picking at the blistering skin on his palms.

Ace waited for him to say something, comment on eating more or doing more exercises, but it never came. It seemed making small talk was pointless in this situation. Almost like an insult to the rest of the group that may be alive or dead, and something neither of them were very good at.

And their presence next to each other was enough. They both knew that Ace would keep working up strength, trying to walk. They would give it another day or two. Keep an eye out, keep eating. There wasn't anything to discuss, just time to pass until they knew it was okay to go.

So they sat there together in silence, feeling extremely isolated locked in the room, only able to imagine what was waiting for them out in the world.

\-----

When darkness came again, Daryl and Ace split up shifts to take watch from the room. Ace slept for the first few hours after the sun started to set. Daryl woke her close to dawn and then took his position on the other side of the bed. Ace kept watch until the darkness once again turned into light of the next day.

As she kept watch, she would occasionally attempt to bend her knees, or bring them up to her chest. She did whatever she could to exercise her muscles, to the best she could remember from her last recovery. She was trying to speed up their time as much as she could.

She was growing concerned at the pain that wouldn't let up, though. Her right leg felt numb, tingling every time she tried to bend her knee. And if she wasn't sitting completely still, pain traveled up her spine to her neck.

When Daryl awoke in the morning, they carried on the same routine from yesterday. He grabbed some canned food from the kitchen and another bag of fluids before cleaning her wound and changing the bandage. It was becoming a little easier for him to be around her like this. Although the skin on skin contact when he was cleaning her wound was small, it weighed on him. Slowly, it seemed like Daryl was getting used to it.

Ace slept for a bit more as she waited for the pain killers to kick in, until Daryl woke her and she would once again start trying to walk around the room. He eyed her limp again, Ace failing at trying not to show the pain shooting up her spine.

They worked in silence the entire day, not having anything to chat about, and really, really not wanting to think about each other. Not the way Daryl helped her walk, or the way his hands brushed against her back as he changed her bandage. And they certainly didn't want to think about the closeness that was and had been growing between the two. How they looked out for each other, helped each other. How they slept next to the other, found comfort in sitting together.

And god forbid either acknowledged that Daryl kissed her again.

Ace didn't necessarily feel stronger today, but she sure didn't feel worse. The only thing that was giving her a hard time was her back. But her forehead was still warm, which explained why Ace was still feeling so weak. Her body was working really hard to keep her wound clean and heal, exerting most of her energy. Daryl said the wound didn't look infected, but it was red and raw and angry.

The antibiotics were good, but they weren't nearly the dosage she needed. That and the off brand pain killers weren't necessarily enough, but it was all they had. The worst part was that she had taken the last of the antibiotics this morning. Daryl had grabbed the last that were in Hershel's office. Ace feared that Lori and Carol grabbed a lot of the medicine to pack as they ran off the farm.

But this just meant they needed to link back up with the group, and soon. Ace kept on with her walking exercises more than yesterday. There weren't many places for her to walk around to in the room and she didn't want to risk squeaking the floor boards, but she kept trying. She stood with Daryl by the window for a little bit, peaking out the blinds. But she kept getting tired and had to sit back down to rest her back after a little while. But then she would get angry that she couldn't walk, and would get up and try again.

They ate more canned food for dinner, sitting in the same place on the edge of the bed. Ace noticed the way Daryl's leg bounced up and down or how he had been pacing the room all day. She knew he was anxious from being stuck in this room while everyone else was out there.

The two had only shared a few brief words the entire day. They were both antsy and well, they were bored. Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days when you were staring at the stale-yellow walls or looking at the closed window.

But the silence between them wasn't angry or agitated, it was calm. Neither of their minds were calm, but they peacefully were able to push through the day together.

And it wasn't until the sun started to set that the silence between them finally broke.

Ace was sitting on the bed with her back pressed up against the headboard. She was running her fingers along the butt of the rifle, picking at a chip on it when Daryl huffed and sat down in the bed as well, taking the same position as her.

He kicked his feet out and laid his crossbow on his lap, letting out a breath as he did. "Most of the walkers wandered off, only a couple'a stragglers left," he spoke to her, keeping his voice low as they had to.

Ace nodded and bit at her lip as she thought. She glanced down to her legs, bending her knees just a bit.

"We should head out soon," she mumbled like she was thinking aloud. It was almost as if she was telling that to her legs, trying to convince them to work better and her back to hurt less.

Daryl glanced over to her, squinting his eyes. "Ya sure ya up for it?" He questioned, kind of signaling with his voice that he didn't think she was. She had been walkin' alright throughout the day, but had one hell of a limp. She probably couldn't walk faster than the walkers did yet.

Ace sucked in her breath and straightened her posture. Even that had her back ache, but she was sure about this. If the coast was clear for them to leave, she had to work harder to get out of here.

Ace briefly looked over to Daryl as she spoke, but then just kept her eyes on the window straight ahead. "We'll be drivin' most of the time, anyway. An' if we go soon, we can catch up to the group within' the day," Ace spoke lowly. She was always good at planning ahead, that Daryl was glad to have back. He was glad to have his teammate back. "No point sitting around in here any longer than need be."

Daryl nodded in agreement, satisfied with what she spoke to him. "Alright," he huffed, shifting back into the bed. "We'll give it one more day then."

They fell back into silence again, both of them now busy with thinking of the plan for tomorrow.

"Should raid the house for supplies the group left," the plan rolled out of Ace's mouth as she thought about it. Daryl could see her face scrunch as she tried to make a schedule for them.

"Tomorrow," Daryl agreed, but made it clear that was not happening tonight with the way his voice grumbled. They needed to be silent now that darkness was upon them, but he was also trying his best to get Ace to stop thinkin' so damn hard. She needed to rest, they would figure that out tomorrow or the day after. But he could see the wheels turn in her head, it was written all over her face. Daryl grew nervous that Ace would start to think about him, what he did.

Ace barely even heard Daryl, her mind had already started to run. They'd pack up food, water, medicine, clothes, and anything else they could find in the house to bring with them. They would have to take Daryl's bike, which would probably not be the most comfortable for Ace's back, but its better than walking.

If the group left a trail and signs like Daryl told Rick, it shouldn't take too long to find them. That is if they didn't run into any trouble.

But even if they did, Daryl and Ace should run into the group's cars east down the highway.

Ace then started to think about what would happen once they rejoined the group. A part of her feared that they would never find them, or that they would find them but torn apart into pieces. Ace tried not to think about that, but there was a part of her that needed to plan for that being the case. She didn't want to go out there unprepared.

Maybe her and Daryl would come back here if that happened. They'd hold up here for a little while longer until Ace was back at full strength. Or until they ran out of food and water. But then they'd have to move on. Maybe they'd try to find another farm, or head to Fort Benning. They would have to siphon the fuel from the groups cars to do that.

Ace almost felt guilty about making this plan, riding off the group like that. But she knew Daryl was probably doing the same.

Best case, they meet up with the group at the end of the day tomorrow or morning the following day. But then what?

Do they head to Fort Benning, anyway? Or do they live on the run, keeping an eye open for pregnant Lori and Carl the entire time? Bracing the upcoming winer outdoors? They'd have to ration food and water, but once winter hit, there would be less and less for Daryl to hunt.

And Ace and Daryl... what happens with them?

Ace gulped and rid herself of that thought. Either it would be her and Daryl surviving alone, or it would be her and Daryl surviving with the group. She didn't know what either of those meant to Daryl.

"Aye," Daryl got her attention. Ace snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head to look at Daryl next to her. "Should get some rest."

Ace basically ignored him, not being able to stop herself from voicing her thoughts. "We should head to Fort Benning," she informed, still obviously caught in her head. Daryl sighed.

"Rick's headed east," Daryl gave in. He leaned his head back against the bed frame as he responded. "Fort Benning is 100 miles the other direction."

"125," Ace corrected, making Daryl roll his eyes at her smart ass comment. Ace didn't notice and continued. "What if we can't find 'em?"

Daryl shot her a look out of the corner of his eye. He didn't want to hear about that, but could see Ace was just trying to plan this out. It seemed like something she needed to do.

Hell, Daryl had been spending the last two days preparing and planning in his head. He just didn't want to hear about losing the group. He'd deal with that when he came to it. Probably would just stick to the brush, hunt and camp like always. But he had wondered what would be of Ace. She would join him, and it would be just those two, surviving together.

Daryl didn't hate the thought of that, it sounded alright. But he wasn't fond of the ways that made him start to feel. Nor was he found of how Ace might interact with him during that.

"We will," Daryl stated, even though he was unsure himself. He just didn't want to get into it. He had told Ace many times before. She always seemed to ask him what happens next, and he responded the same way. They keep going, her and him. They keep pushing on, thats it. Just survivin'.

Ace sighed and glanced over to Daryl. He was biting at his thumb again, a nervous habit he had when he was anxious or thinking. It seemed he was thinking similar things that Ace was. Ace now wondered if he was thinking about what happened between them, too. 

Silence started to fill the gaps between them, Ace no longer having any words to push out. She just kept to her head for a while, until she found herself growing weak and tired. The sitting position she was in was starting to wear down her lower back.

Daryl glanced over, still sitting properly up on the other side of the bed, as Ace shifted into a laying position. Daryl was satisfied that she was finally starting to give it a damn rest and lay down, but his heart hammered after. He was worried she would curl up to him again.

Eventually Daryl trained his eyes back onto the window across from the bed, keeping watch as he assumed that Ace was going to fall asleep. He kept panicking over the thought of her falling asleep and touching him again. She hadn't the nights before, which had made him feel bitter. Maybe he had overstepped. Maybe she didn't want him to kiss her like she did. He had probably freaked her out, and she was only playing it off cause they were stuck in here together. She probably would run off and avoid him after the got back with the group.

Daryl was overthinking as he always did, but he found himself surprised when he heard her voice about twenty minutes later.

"How did you end up with them?" Ace's quiet, tired voice came out from the darkness. Daryl could just barely make out the boney features of her face as he looked to where her words came from.

It was obvious she was lying awake, unable to think about anything but the group. Unable to think about anything other than Daryl.

Daryl scratched at the scruff on his face, letting his hand fall back down to run across his crossbow. He would usually give short, dry answers to anyone in the group that tried to question him or learn more about him. But with Ace he didn't have much of a problem, he was softer. She didn't really agitate him, jus' scared the hell out of him. And he wasn't one for small talk, but it must have been the situation they were in. They've been boarded up in this room for days, with only the intensity of life and death hanging over them. Thats what he told himself. But for once, Daryl just went with it, trying to stop overthinking his time with the girl for once.

"Ran into Shane and 'em on the highway jus' after the city got bombed," Daryl spoke out into the darkness. Ace listened intently, almost as if it was a bedtime story. She remembered that night, hearing the explosions ring out. "Merle had heard Shane talkin' big about settin' up a camp outside Atlanta. So Merle had come up with his own idea.. wanted to join in and rob the place while they slept ."

Ace looked to Daryl through the darkness. Daryl hadn't told anyone about that, shit, why would he? It didn't end up happening. But he still told Ace. He stilled for a second, waiting for her reaction of disgust.

Ace tried to hold back her snort, but Daryl still heard it. His head snapped back to look at her. "Wha'? Didn't end up doin' it," Daryl defended.

"They woulda lost their shit," Ace mumbled, slightly amused by the image she was picturing in her head. Daryl paused, pleased that she thought it was funny instead of hating him for it.

"Was a different time," Daryl sighed. "An' Merle had to go be a jackass and fuck it all up."

Ace heard the pinch in his voice as he said that, making her face frown as she thought of her time with Merle. She thought it was probably for the best though, that Merle did fuck it all up. If they had robbed the group, Daryl wouldn't have a place like he does now. I mean, he would have been the enemy of the group. He also probably would have never been around to know Ace. Well, in that case he would have gotten to avoid dealing with her cancer. Merle would still probably be here, too.

Silence followed again now, both reeling from Daryl's last comment, now thinking about the campsite at Atlanta. Thinking about when Ace first showed up to the group.

Daryl started to bite at his thumb again. He looked to Ace a few times, but couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. He didn't want to wake her or be weird, but he always had so many curiosities about the girl. He just never seemed to ask. The biggest mystery about her was her cancer, so he hadn't really thought about much else once he uncovered that. But now, she was a whole person that laid next to him. And he really didn't know anything besides the cancer.

"How'd ya run into Merle?"

Ace peeked up, hearing vulnerability in Daryl's voice, like he was unsure about questioning Ace, or trying to get comfortable with normal conversation. "I thought I told you," Ace hummed.

Daryl huffed, grunting. "Tell me again."

Ace had told Daryl about how she was with Merle before joining up with them, but Daryl never really got any details. He hadn't wanted to hear it at the time, too pissed off to deal with that. Ace was a little afraid to have Daryl get mad at her again for lying about Merle, or for losing him in Atlanta, but she also felt comfortable with him now. They were just talking, a weird thing for both of them usually, but something was changing between them.

"I had heard his yells as I was searchin' for supplies in the city. Somehow ended up in the same building he was on," Ace spoke quietly, but the room was so quiet already that Daryl didn't have to try as hard as usual to hear her. Sometimes she spoke as if they were in a room full of people and Daryl was the only one she wanted to hear. It made him hopeful that might actually be true. Stupid.

Daryl looked down at his crossbow as he listened, tryin' to imagine it all. "Had'ta kill walkers in the staircase an' pick the lock around the door to get to him. Found him with one hand, loosin' a lot of blood. Got real lucky to find somethin' to use to cauterize the stump."

"Thought Merle did that..." Daryl grumbled to himself under his breath. Daryl had gone off about how Merle was tough as nails, even cauterized his own stump. When in reality, Merle would have probably been dead if Ace hadn't been there.

Ace continued to quietly tell her story. As much as Merle was a touchy subject for Daryl, the way Ace's quiet voice narrated her experience was soothing. He never heard her talk much, especially not during the cancer treatment or when they were around the group. He didn't think much of it now, this felt almost normal to him. He was too busy listening to her to think about the fact they were sitting in this bed together or to think about the fact they were even talking.

Ace told him about spending the evening on the roof with Merle, splitting a can of ravioli. She told him about him trying to hot wire cars, sneaking around the streets of Atlanta. She then told him about getting surrounded by walkers and separated from Merle until eventually she heard the sound of a vehicle. Daryl didn't really understand why she did all that for his jackass brother. Ace had grumbled on about Merle saying some douchebag things. Daryl already knew all too well the things his brother could have said. Nothin' that would make someone so inclined to help his ass like she did.

"Waste'a time, helping my brother," Daryl grumbled, looking off.

Ace looked up at him through the night, seeing as he tried to understand what she was saying. He thought nobody would ever want to help the Dixon's. Thats how it always was.

"He helped me, too," Ace mumbled silently back. 

Daryl almost had a hard time believing that, but looking at Ace, he knew that she wasn't the type of person someone would leave behind, even an asshole like Merle. Or maybe she just had a way of dealing with the Dixon brothers, something not many people were capable of.

Daryl chewed at his lip and turned away, nodding slightly to himself. Silence picked back up in the room, both of them moving away from the subject. But now that they were talking, Daryl was thinking again. "Wha' about before?" His southern drawl quietly bit out into the night. Ace perked an eyebrow at him. "Where ya at before Merle?"

Daryl glanced down at Ace for a second before looking back away. He would talk to her, but he didn't need to look at her as he did.

"Gillsville," Ace sighed, shifting a bit to soothe a pain in her back. "Spent a month on the road, stuck. Trying to get to Atlanta."

"Ya were alone?"

Ace hummed, nodding her head. "Ran into some people on the highway. Just kept moving."

Daryl nodded to himself, trying to picture it all in his head. Seemed like it was so long ago when it all went down. Like a whole world away. 

"What about you?" Ace let out a breath, shifting around again because her back was building up an itch. If Daryl got to ask her all these questions, Ace was allowed to ask them right back. She wasn't so nervous now, it seemed Daryl was okay with it. He was calm.

Daryl shifted, too, as the attention was directed onto him. He rubbed a hand across his chin, looking across the room at the window. "Up North a bit. Merle was on a bender, took a minute to find him."

Ace considered this, trying so hard to imagine Daryl's life before the apocalypse. "Was it always just you and Merle?"

Daryl nodded, but then paused. "Had an uncle tha' was with us for a bit. He didn't make it far."

Daryl was now thinking back to before all this when he was with Merle. His half-uncle was out on the bender with him, Daryl didn't know him that well. It was off-putting, thinking about back then. Merle was his brother, but things were just easier now. A whole world of a difference as he sat next to Ace.

Ace could tell Daryl was quieting down, lost in his head. She didn't want to push him more, just satisfied with the little she had learned about him. She knew there was more, but knew she had more time. One day Daryl would be comfortable to tell her maybe.

Ace was thinking again now, too. She said she helped Merle cause he was alive and not one of the undead, but that couldn't have just been it. Because she had started to think about Shane. And she didn't know if she would help him, not after what he has done.

"Did you see Shane leave the farm?" Ace broke the silence, her question bringing a heavy presence around the two.

Daryl kept his eyes on the window as he responded. "Didn't see him all night, not after Randal."

Ace looked at the ceiling as she started to run over what might have happened in her head.

"He went with Rick," Daryl glanced down at her. "An' didn't come back."

Ace held his eyes, and the same idea was running through their minds. They both knew what had probably went down, they weren't blind. There was a riff between Rick and Shane. They had tried to kill each other before, more than once to Ace's knowledge. And Rick wasn't blind either.

"How was Randal a walker?" Ace pondered under her breath. It was the most obvious knowledge that Shane killed Randal, no need to even debate about it. But Daryl had said the kid had no walker bites, not even a scratch. His neck was broke. Ace had to ignore how angry that made her, trying not to face the fact that Dale died for nothing.

For a quick moment, Ace wished Shane was still alive. For the sole reason that she could hurt him. But then she shivered, that thought being unlike her.

Daryl shook his head before he leaned it back against the head board. "Dunno, but somethin' ain't right."

Something hasn't been right for a long time.

Ace shifted to lay on her back, tugging her hat down over her ears as she did. She felt her wound press against the mattress, but it felt nice to have some pressure on it. She blinked through the darkness, looking up at the ceiling.

Something wasn't right, and she knew they needed to connect back with the group. Nothing would feel right until they did.


	66. Flames of Fire

Daryl took the first shift on watch, letting Ace sleep. He didn't intend to wake her up this time though. He was awake, and starting to grow less concerned about the walkers outside. She would rest, and maybe he could get them out of here tomorrow. Getting back to the group was the safest thing for them. Strength in numbers.

Although Daryl didn't doubt they would be able to fend for themselves if need be. Losing the group just brought him a sort of discomfort in his gut.

Daryl picked at chip in the crossbow laying across his lap, occasionally stealing glances down to the woman at his side. He didn't dare look for too long, trying to hold his attention toward the window across the room.

He couldn't help but imagine if he had met her before all hell broke loose. He thought about her story with Merle and it made him start to wonder what it would have been like. She would have fit in just right with the Dixon brothers. Maybe not much would be different whether or not it was the apocalypse.

Or maybe she would have hated him. Maybe she would have seen just how good for nothing he really was in the real world.

And they would have never had to search for Sophia, never had to fight through cancer. They would'a never got close. And maybe the thought of that brought Daryl comfort. He was always on his own. It made him less nervous to think of being alone than when he looked at Ace beside him.

Even though that was true, there was still somethin' about the girl. Somethin' since day one. Some reason he was here now and not with Rick n' the rest.

Merle would give him hell if he was here right now. Hell, if Merle had been here the other night, Daryl would've never been able to stay here with her. Might be best that his brother got separated from Ace. Wherever the hell he went.

Daryl sat alone in the dark, biting at the nail on his thumb. Night time always went by slow when you sat awake through it. He had done it many times out in the woods. Sometimes felt like the sun would never come up again.

But rather than the sun, soon it was Ace that was seeming to come up. Daryl glanced over when he noticed her start to shudder in her sleep. He didn't think much of it at first, the girl always made some movements, but kept looking over when it didn't seem to stop.

She clenched her arms closer to her body, but soon enough, her eyes were squinting open.

Ace woke up freezing. Like she had been laying outside on the cold ground. She couldn't help the shudders that wracked through her body. She opened her eyes in search of a blanket, but seeing that it was still pitch black out made her feel almost more chilled.

Daryl lifted his head up a bit when he saw her awaken. He squinted at her as she reached to pull the blanket over through her grogginess. As she did, she felt like the blanket must of weighed a hundred pounds, for weakness took over her muscles.

Daryl lifted his legs off the blanket and moved it from under him, helping her collect it all. Her hands quaked as she brought it closer, pulling it over her body and wrapping herself in it as tightly as she could.

But it didn't do much, in fact the blanket felt cool against her skin. Ace shut her eyes, starting to bite at her lip, as if that would warm her at all. But she still couldn't stop shuddering, chills burning through her body. She just wanted to be back asleep.

Daryl, slightly concerned, sat up and reached over, pressing his hand on her forehead, brushing against the top of her beanie. "Fuck," he grumbled to himself. "Ya burnin' up."

Ace kept her eyes shut, not wanting to hear him. She was too freezing to understand the concept of her skin feeling warm. And the last thing she wanted to hear was that she had a fever.

"Let me get a look at ya," Daryl moved his crossbow off his lap and set it on the floor next to the bed. He then reached over to the bedside table, pulling the drawer open. He moved around a bible and a bunch'a useless shit until he spotted a pack of matches. He then grabbed the candle off the table and turned back to Ace.

She hadn't moved, her eyes still closed.

"C'mon," Daryl set the candle and matches down, shifting to get Ace up. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter when Daryl put his hands behind her upper arms, helping her sit up. The exposure to the air made shivers punch through her even harder.

Once she sat up, she leaned forward, keeping the blanket close to her face. Daryl sat back behind her, able to make out her bandage poking from under her shirt in the dark. He lifted her shirt up and then pealed back the bandage, focused on figuring out what the hell was wrong with her.

Letting the bandage hang down by the tape on the bottom, he grabbed the candle and struck a match, holding it to the wick before blowing it out and tossing it into an empty glass on the table. He shifted back to get a better look as he brought the candle over, holding it below Ace's incision. He almost knew what to expect, but still hoped for it to not be.

Ace's wound was angrier than before. It was red and swollen around the stitches, with puss forming around where the thread was. Infected.

The antibiotics had been the only thing keeping that wound safe. And they ran out of those.

Daryl cursed inwardly, taking one more look before he decided what to do. He pressed the bandage back onto her skin and set the candle on the bedside table. He then pushed himself out of bed, stepping over to Ace's side.

"Skins infected, from the stitches," he looked down at her. It was now through the candle light that he could see the cold sweat on her pale face. Ace nodded, already knowing that was going to be the answer. She could feel it. And it hurt like hell. "M'gonna check the house for more antibiotics," Daryl lifted the bottom of his shirt up to slide the knife out of his sheath. There had to be some somewhere.

"Look for Cefalozin," Ace's voice was shaking almost as much as she was, hallow. "N' more antibiotic cream."

Daryl sent a curt nod, reaching to grab the candle from the table and repeating Cefalozin in his head to not forget. "Stay here."

Not like Ace could move if she tried. She let her head fall for it was pounding, too heavy to keep up. And she buried it into the blanket that was now only wrapped around her front. She tried to hold back her shakes, some how create some sort of heat energy. But she lacked all types of energy. She couldn't stand another minute of being weak, but this time she felt too terrible to even get irritated about it.

She still tried to listen for Daryl to make sure the coast was clear. He would knock three times if something went wrong, but Ace worried what she would even be able to do if that happened. And all she wanted was sleep.

Daryl was gone for a while, trying to search everywhere he could in the house while staying as quiet as possible. And then he returned as silently as he had left, quietly coming back over to her. "Got cream and ibuprofen. No antibiotics," he informed under his breath.

He set the candle on the table and then crouched down behind her. He set what he had found on the floor except for the ibuprofen. He popped open the cap and poured the dosage into his palm. There was only a few pills left in it. Daryl cursed. They were running out of resources here. Lori and Carol had cleaned out most of the supplies on their way out of the house.

"Here," he reached them out in front of Ace. She had to pull her hand out from the blanket to grab them from him. "Water," Daryl grumbled, snatching the canteen from beside the bed and now handing that to her as well.

Silently suffering, Ace dragged slowly as she put the pills in her mouth and unscrewed the cap to the canteen. She then winced as she felt Daryl take off her bandage. Her back was throbbing something awful, like it was mad at her for getting cut open. But every time she made even the slightest movement, the tug at the stitches burned.

Daryl cleaned the wound, squinting as he did, careful not to touch it with his bare hands. He used a cotton swab to put antibiotic ointment on, and only touched the tape for the bandage he put over.

"Need warm water. To soak," Ace huffed. Daryl could barely hear her voice. He questioned for a moment how she knew all of this so well.

Daryl threw the bandage wrappings on the floor and stood. "Too dangerous," he thought aloud. They'd have to start a fire to boil water, risk making too much noise in the dark.

Ace swallowed, barely even aware of what she was doing anymore. She handed Daryl back the canteen as he walked passed, going to peak out the window and make sure they hadn't attracted any attention from noise or the candle light. When nothing looked any different from the normal walkers straggling along, he went back over to the bed.

Ace had laid back down, this time not daring to lay on her back. It was screaming at her. And the shaking of her body from the chills weren't helping anything.

After Daryl blew out the candle and went to sit back in his spot on the bed, Ace's cracking voice whispered out. Daryl could hear her shudders as she spoke. "We need t-to get to the group."

They were once fine with sitting in here and waiting, but now Ace needed to get back to them. They needed the ability to start a fire, boil water, get more medicine and more protection. If they got caught in a hairy situation here, it would be far too dangerous. They weren't safe, and in Ace's condition, they were fucked. If they waited much longer, they also might miss their chance to find them.

Daryl glanced at her for a second, biting at the inside of his lip. He was now more antsy to get back to them now, too. He reached over to place his hand on her forehead once more, still unnerved by the heat it radiated. "If ya fever goes down, we leave tomorrow."

He couldn't tell if Ace nodded or was just shaking. Maybe both. Either way, he watched her as her body shook underneath the covers. Both of them were afraid. The only time people got fevers around here anymore were from walkers. And both had become familiar with the idea of fevers killing people.

They should have left earlier today. They should've left before Ace got the fever. Daryl retreated inwardly, he had made the wrong decision. He felt guilty.

Daryl ignored it, but kept his knife unsheathed and near him. Partly out of concern for walkers catching wind of them, and partly concerned for Ace. He wouldn't sleep tonight, anyway.

But Ace tried. Daryl kept an eye on her, but couldn't really tell if she had fallen back asleep. It seemed she had, but her body was still shaking. The shitty blanket wasn't helping much. Her breaths were loud, like huffs, and he could hear the chatter of her teeth. They rang out in the back of his head.

"Jesus, girl," he mumbled underneath his breath. He moved his arm to put on top of her, almost trying to hold her still. But Ace had felt the heat that it provided, and through her half-dead state, grabbed onto it.

Daryl froze as she nearly wrapped around his arm, needing the warmth like it was food or water or somethin'. She became closer to him, and Daryl cursed the hot blood that pumped through his veins. But he let her, mostly cause she was asleep and didn't have to really face her. And 'cause she was cold, needed to be warm to get better. Thats why he would say he let someone close to him.

And thats what he kept telling himself. But he couldn't help the warmth that she too caused to spread throughout him.


	67. Soft Blurs Behind Us

Ace awoke to sounds of shuffling across the room. She tried to ignore it and force herself back asleep, for she didn't want to be conscious to feel the ache in her bones. And she was so tired.

She felt like she had woken up with the weight of dark clouds holding her down. Her bones ached completely through and through and her head was clenched tight in a headache. She was still cold. She didn't feel as freezing as last night, but that might have been due to how hard is was to focus on anything else but her aching body.

But then Ace remembered her situation and became all too curious about what the noises were. The thought of a walker had her forcing her eyelids open. Even they felt heavy to move.

She kept them open just a crack to see Daryl moving around the room. He was currently stuffing left over medical supplies from the room into an empty duffle bag that was propped up on a chair. He stalked over to the bedside table to grab the bottle of ibuprofen and antibiotic cream, unaware that Ace was awake and watching him. But Daryl had good enough instincts to feel her eyes on him when he got over. He took a quick glance at her, not stopping what he was doing.

Once he gathered all the things, he went to add them into the duffle bag and then came back over to Ace. The met eyes for a brief moment as he reached to place a hand on her forehead.

"Still warm," he grumbled, walking back once more to grab the ibuprofen he just stashed away. "Not as bad though. These will help knock down th'fever for today," Daryl handed her two pills.

Ace shifted up in the bed as she took them from him and Daryl handed her his canteen of water. As she washed them down, she watched as Daryl went back to packing things up.

"We're leavin'?" Ace wanted to confirm.

"Gotta," Daryl spoke with his back turned to her. "Ya up for it?"

Ace didn't respond, just set down the canteen and pulled back the covers off her body. She clenched her teeth together as she started to move. She hadn't had a fever in a while so she nearly had forgotten just how weak the body can feel. And her infected wound was only adding to it.

But it wasn't bad enough to keep her bed ridden. At least not as bad as last night. And she really hoped the ibuprofen would make her more functional. It was all these things that made her get out of bed, for she knew it was definitely time to get back to the group.

Daryl glanced back at her when she didn't respond and he heard her moving. He wanted to tell her to get her ass back in bed and rest while he went through all the shit in the house, but knew she would insist anyway. And the fact that she was even willing to get out of bed must have meant she was feeling good enough for that.

"Already cleared out the shit from upstairs," Daryl spoke over to her.

Ace nodded as she started to slowly move her limbs. Her back was slightly hunched over just from the natural reaction to being so weak and sickly. But it felt nice to have her back somewhat stretched out.

Daryl must have been up for while before her. She wished he would have woken her to keep watch while he went through the house, but they really hadn't even seen a walker for a day or two now. Only stragglers way across the farm.

"I'll go check out the bathroom and Hershel's office," Ace informed.

She didn't meet Daryls eyes as he turned to watch her slowly shuffle out of the room. He didn't want to push her buttons or force her back in the bed, for she would do what she was willing to do, nor did he want to express his concern aloud. Instead, he went out into the hallway and started to go through some of the group's stuff they had moved in and left in the dining room. He made himself look busy, but was mostly out there to keep an eye on Ace.

Ace went to the bathroom first, for she was in dire need to relieve herself. She also felt gross, sickness hanging over her like a cloud of dust. After using the toilet, she washed her hands and started to splash water on her face. It felt so nice. She let it run down her neck, embracing the feeling of it.

She knew a nice hot shower could change her world right now, but that wasn't something they had time or resources for. Instead, she kept washing her face and neck in water, trying to relax the headache that pulsed through her skull. She felt dizzy and a little woozy from moving, almost as if she had just ran half a marathon.

So Ace just kept her movements slow and concise as she started to open the medicine cabinet. There wasn't much left in there, just some old and crusty toothpaste and toothbrushes. She still took even the most random of things like floss and non-crusty toothpaste. It was the little things that somehow saved the day in the end.

She looked through the cabinet below the sink, only finding towels. She grabbed two of those, for maybe they would be of use for a life on the road. She knew to pack light, but its not like they had much here anyway.

Ace set the stuff down in a pile on the floor as she exited.

"Aye," Daryl called under his breath, getting her attention before she went to Hershel's office. He stepped over to her, around the still rotting walker corpse, to hand her a granola bar and an empty duffle bag.

She sent him a brief nod as she took them from him, and then they both turned back to what they were doing. They weren't necessarily in a rush, but the faster they got out of here, the more daylight they would have on the road.

Ace hadn't really started to mentally prepare for that yet today, and it didn't seem like she was going to very much. She felt like actual shit. Like dog shit on the side of the road. But she still pushed through. She set the duffle bag down on the couch in Hershel's office and started to eat the granola bar as she looked around. Luckily her stomach was feeling better, the lack of chemo helping with that. She hoped the food would help make her feel better.

She could tell she was moving as slow as a snail as she started to pack things up. She even had to take breaks to rest because she felt like she was out of breath, her head spinning on her shoulders. She wanted to curl up in a ball and die, but her mind wouldn't let her.

Hershel's office had some good stuff. Most of the medical supplies they had left were in here, especially the remainders of Ace's treatment. She wanted to chuck all of the chemo drugs, but not only did she not have the muscle power to do that, she also knew better. She packed anything that resembled medical equipment at all. Gauze, bandages, whatever. This would be the most important.

Ace went back to the hallway with a nearly full duffle bag. Daryl was still rummaging through the groups things. Keeping the group in mind, he tried to grab a few pairs of extra clothes, but had to be scarce on what he could bring. His motorcycle couldn't be packed full like a car.

Ace set her bag down next to Daryl as she came over. She peaked at some of the stuff he was going through. She was satisfied with what he already grabbed, especially the extra pairs of socks and a full stock of cans and packaged food.

"Almost done here," he grumbled, zipping up his backpack.

Ace nodded and then went back into the room. Her body was aching to lay down, but she settled for just sitting on the bed, grabbing her backpack as she did. Her wound screamed at the motion. She got everything organized in her bag, setting it down on the bed next to her and placing her gun on top of it.

Ace sat there for a moment, her head lulling. She wanted to just lay back and sleep forever, but the sight of Daryl shuffling in the room with his hands full convinced her otherwise. He dropped a giant pile of clothing onto the bed and then leaned back, his arm swinging at his side.

"Can't fit all of this so gotta layer up," he informed. There were multiple sweatshirts and jackets lying in the pile.

He also had a small pot in his hand, to which he was going to strap to the outside of his backpack.

Ace took a deep and shaky breath before once again standing up. She started to look through the pile he left, grabbing a long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt, and a rain jacket. She went to put the long sleeve on first, over the one she was already wearing, as Daryl zipped up the last bag and set it on the bed. He took the rifle that was in the room and shoved it in so it was sticking out of the top.

Ace didn't think as she started to put the layers on, but then instantly regretted it as the movement tugged at the stitches in her back. She froze, holding the shirt above her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

Pulling that shirt down over her was one of the harder things she has had to do. Putting arms through each hole was yanking at each side of her wound. Not to mention, she was so weak, holding her arms up was like benching 200 pounds.

She wasn't in a great mood when she had to put the sweatshirt on now, too. Hell, her throat was clogged from not having spoken a single word yet. She just didn't have the energy to do that this morning.

Daryl was sliding on layers now, too, occasionally eyeing Ace. When she got through the agony of putting on the sweatshirt, she more easily slid on the rain jacket and then immediately sat back down on the bed, winded.

"Should clean the stitches again?" Daryl questioned as he slid on a jacket.

Ace shook her head no. He cleaned it last night and she didn't want to waste supplies now. Who knows what situation they would end up in a few days from now.

"Alright," Daryl huffed, looking around the room once more. "Thats it."

Ace sucked in one more breath, sliding over her boots from beside the bed. Slowly, she put them on and laced them up before sitting up straight and adjusting the hat on her head, pulling it down over her ears.

"Ya good?" Daryl asked down at Ace. She nodded. She was ready. As shitty as she felt, she was ready to get out of here and back to the group. She almost felt that this room made her more sick, for thats all she ever was in it.

Ace stood and turned, sliding her backpack over her shoulders carefully and grabbing her gun. She made sure to get her knife that was on the bedside table as well. Daryl threw a backpack on and slid the duffle bags over his shoulder. It would be uncomfortable riding on a motorcycle with this shit, but it would be worth it. He then picked up his crossbow and looked at Ace.

They held eye contact for a long moment, both willing the other to get the hell out of here. It was finally time.

After the moment passed, they sent each other a reassuring nod and then went to head out. Ace managed to steal one last glance at the room she just spent the past month cooped up in. A part of her always knew the farm wouldn't last, but she knew she would be thinking back to this place a lot. For the past while, this place and this room had been her life. She thought she would die here alone. But she didn't die and she was far from alone.

She turned and followed Daryl out of the house. Keeping her gun and her knife ready in her hands.

Daryl very slowly opened the door. Especially when it came to the screen door, for that squeaked like shit. They both paused at the doorway, looking out onto the farm.

Ace flinched at the daylight for a moment, but then got her eyes back on track to look across the landscape. There were a small handful of walkers dragging along, clueless, but none were that close to the house.

She was almost amazed at the number of corpses that littered the farm, especially at the burnt bodies that lied around the embers of the barn. But she tore her eyes away and silently crept behind Daryl. Trying to keep herself quiet caused pain to infiltrate her bones even more, but luckily the bike was close by.

Daryl was scanning every angle as they walked over, keeping his crossbow up in case anything came from behind the house. Nothing did and soon they reached the bike.

Quickly, Daryl stuffed what he could into the side compartment of his bike, replacing the gun that was in there so he could put that in the waistband of his pants. "Gotta stay off the main roads," Daryl turned to Ace, grabbing what he could from her to attach to his bike. "Bigger the road, the more walkers."

Ace knew that too, but when Daryl went to get on the bike, he noticed Ace standing still, caught in thought. 

"Should check the highway, where everyone would meet up," Ace spoke, considering. "Thats where Rick would leave a sign." Thats also where they wouldn't have left a sign, if something happened. Ace knew that if there was nothing on that highway, where the message to Sophia used to be, then the group was lost.

Daryl squinted for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, we'll make it quick." He then threw a leg over the seat and got comfortable, signaling Ace with his head to get on.

Ace slid her own gun into her waistband and did so, the movement pulling at her stitches. Buck luckily once she sat down behind Daryl, her body was able to rest. She avoided the thought of how she held onto Daryl as he pushed up the kickstand and turned the bike on.

Instantly, it was roaring into the empty fields, attracting unwanted attention. It was now or never.

Daryl glanced over his shoulder back at Ace once more before pushing off and turning the acceleration. Ace sucked in a big breath as they peeled away from the farmhouse, kicking up dirt from the road.

The vibration from the bike stung up Ace's back, but in a way that made everything feel numb. She watched as trees instantly started to blur by, Daryl not wanting to slow down around the walkers. She could see as they turned towards them, but wasn't able to hear their growls over the motorcycle engine.

And soon enough, the farm and all those corpses were nothing but tiny white blurs behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally don't know how I made an entire 67 chapters only from the beginning to the farm. Lol I either write a lot or too little in each chapter? Oh well! 
> 
> I am caught up on all the stuff I have had written, so now its time for some fresh writing. Should be very fun, finally a change in scenery and pace now that everything at the farm is wrapped up. Lots of options here!
> 
> Although, I'm debating how much I should fill in the time skip between season 2 and 3. Before they find the prison, there is quite a few months they are on the road. Would y'all like to read about this, or just excited for prison?


End file.
